Michael Orton
06/09/2021
With thanks to David Davies (OT 64) for contacting us and to Roger Dugmore (OT 64) for the eulogy. MICHAEL ORTON1948 - 2021Michael was born on 28th April 1948 in Walsall the third child of Jack and Olive Orton after David and Robert with Richard completing the family. ‘Mick’ following his two older brothers entered the College Lower School as a boarder in 1958 his contemporaries amongst others were Stephen Berg, Roger Dugmore, David Goodson, Philip Taylor and Ian Lanfear.He entered form 3A in the Senior School in September 1959. Roger recounts that he excelled at PE and Gym and enjoyed all sports. On the 1961 sports day he came 1st in the U13 Hurdles, and was in a number of the School rugby teams.As a teenager Michael became very interested in magic, buying lots of books on the subject, magic kits and equipment for individual tricks. He practiced all the time and it became very difficult to tell how the tricks were done and he would never tell !After Tettenhall Michael attended Wolverhampton Art College and then Newport College of Art. He later attended a post graduate course at the Central School of Art in London. In 1969 Michael met Liz who was working part-time behind the bar at The Elms public House in Leytonstone. They married in 1977, daughter Alex was born in 1980 and son Nick in 1981. In June 1985 the family moved to Hitchin where they made many lifelong friends. Michael attended St Mark’s Church Hitchin for the last 35 years and was a very special, well respected, devoted and giving member of the St Mark’s family.In the early 1980’s Michael started his own company with an office in Soho. Michael continued to work for himself gathering an impressive portfolio of clients including - Saatchi & Saatchi, New York design agencies, and blue chip UK companies. Always the enthusiastic sportsman Michael was a very good runner, taught Judo at Hitchin Judo Club, and ran the London Marathon in 1988 and again in 1989 when he entered under the made up name of ‘Alexander Nicholls’.Very sadly in 2008 Michael lost his beloved wife Liz to cancer. Following her death, Michael immersed himself in life with his children, holidays with friends, work and the Church.Thankfully after a while and with the support of family and friends, Michael was able to build a new life for himself and to find happiness again with Julie who was introduced through a mutual friend. They enjoyed holidays, the theatre, meals with friends, drinks on the patio and had a future together planned. Sadly this was cut short with Michael’s illness, when in the summer of 2020 he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemo-therapy . Michael passed away peacefully on 10th July 2021. He is greatly missed by his family and friends.