Judge Mark Orr

Mark Estle Orr, age 54, of Ozark, Missouri, died Sunday, June 1, 2014, following a battle with cancer. He was born April 23, 1960, in Springfield, Missouri, the son of Estle and Rovena (Paschall) 0rr. He graduated from Hillcrest High School in Springfield and received an undergraduate degree from Drury College where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. He attended law school at the University of Missouri at Columbia earning a juris doctorate degree in 1986. He received a law license and was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1986. Following law school he served as a law clerk for the Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District before joining the law firm of Pool, Smith, and Wieland in Springfield. In 1988 he opened a law office on the square in Ozark where he had a private practice for the next 14 years. He was elected to the Young Lawyers Section and served on the Board of Governors of the Missouri Bar. In 1994 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney for Christian County Missouri. He also served as City Attorney for the City of Ozark and as Municipal Judge for the City of Clever. On September 6, 1997, he married Sarah Taylor Adams of Ozark. They have two children, Emily and Mary. In 2002 he was elected Associate Circuit Judge for Christian County Missouri. In 2006 he was elected Circuit Judge of the 38th Judicial Circuit consisting of Christian and Taney Counties. He was re-elected in 2012 and served until his death. Mark served on the Board of the Ozark Chamber of Commerce, the COMET Drug Task Force and the Finley River Community Foundation. He taught classes as an Adjunct Faculty Member at Drury University. He was a member of the Circuit Judges Association, the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association and a member and Past President of the Christian County Bar Association. Mark was a member of First Baptist Church Ozark. He is survived by: His wife, Sarah; two daughters, Emily Taylor Orr, age 14, and Mary Taylor "Mimi" Orr, age four; his sister, Pauletta Dunn-Remmark and husband Lynn; Pauletta's eight children, Jessica Nichols, Sonja Nichols, Lacey Nichols, Ashley Nichols, Keely Dunn, Marlena Dunn, Seth Dunn, Lucas Dunn; great-nieces and nephews; a cousin, DeEtta Rae Stone; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Dean and Mary Adams; and a brother-in-law, Arthur Adams and wife Kim and family. His parents preceded him in death as well as a nephew, Shannon Nichols. A funeral service will be 11:00 AM Tuesday, June 3, in First Baptist Church Ozark. Burial will be in Ozark City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 - 8:00 PM Monday in First Baptist Church Ozark. Arrangements are under the direction of Adams Funeral Home, Ozark. Memorials may be made to the Finley River Community Foundation, PO Box 1176, Ozark, MO 65721.