Oliver J. Orton

STANFORDVILLE — Oliver J. Orton, 73, a long-time resident of Stanfordville, died Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, at the Summit Park Long Term Acute Care Hospital in Pomona, Rockland County, N.Y., following a long illness. He was born Dec. 10, 1941, in Sharon, to the late Rose Marie (DeCaro) and John C. Orton.On July 4, 1982, he married Karen S. Weber at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Millbrook. Mrs. Orton survives at home.Oliver graduated from Pine Plains Central School and SUNY Albany with a master’s degree in history. He taught social studies in the Red Hook and Pine Plains Central School Districts for 39 years, retiring in 2003. He loved teaching the junior high students and took them on field trips to the New York State Museum and New York City, and spent a day each year at the Attlebury School House in Stanfordville. He was also the advisor to the Yorker Club at Stissing Mountain Jr.-Sr. High School in Pine Plains and the census recorder for the Pine Plains Central School District for many years. Oliver was very active in the Stanfordville community. He was a parishioner of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Bangall and a member of the Stanford Historical Society, serving as president from 1991 to 2003. He was integral in the restoration of the Attlebury School House for the country’s bicentennial in 1976, and served on the board to build the Stanford Free Library in 1964. At the time of his death, he was also serving as the town of Stanford tax collector. He enjoyed stamp and coin collecting, reading history books and completing crossword puzzles.The Grange was a huge part of Oliver’s life. He was a 60-year member of Stanford Grange No. 808 and served as secretary for decades as well as master from 1964 to 1969. He was the Junior Grange Leader of Stanford Junior Grange No. 414 when they were designated “Junior Grange of the Nation” in 1980. He was also a member of the Dutchess County Pomona Grange, and served as secretary from 1989 to 2008 and master from 1971 to 1976. He served as the director of Junior Grange activities for the New York State Grange from 1987 to 2006 and master of the New York State Grange from 2007 to 2011. He enjoyed traveling around New York state visiting and revitalizing Granges. While he was master of the New York State Grange, he and Karen served as New York’s delegates to the National Grange.In addition to his wife, Oliver is survived by his son, Ryan Orton of Stanfordville; his daughter, Allison Orton of Globe, Ariz.; his sister, Mary Haight and her husband, Bruce Griffing, of Cape Coral, Fla.; his aunt, Mary DeCaro of Union, N.J.; his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Weber of Bergen, N.Y.; his father-in-law, John Weber and his wife, Judy, of Pittsford, N.Y.; his brothers-in-law, J. Daniel Weber and his wife, Gail, of Bumpass, Va., and Donald and Debra Weber of St. David, Ariz.; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins.Calling hours will be held on Thursday, April 9, from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Peck and Peck Funeral Home in Pine Plains. Stanford GrangeNo. 808 will conduct a memorial dervice at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 10, at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Millbrook. Interment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Bangall, N.Y.Memorial donations may be made to Stanford Grange No. 808, P.O. Box 108, Stanfordville, NY 12581. To sign the online register , go to www.peck andpeck.net.