RICHARD JAMES ORLOFF

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

RICHARD JAMES ORLOFF Rick Orloff died suddenly and unexpectedly on August 23, 2001 in St. Boniface General Hospital at the age of 54 years. He was pre-deceased by Doreen, his wife and best buddy for over 30 years, on January 16, 2001. He will be lovingly remembered by his son Michael and daughter-in-law Myriame; his brother Donald Orloff; niece Jessica Orloff; nephew Kelly Orloff and his wife Daria; and mother-in-law Josephine Prowse. Rick was also predeceased by his father William in 1985; and his mother Pauline and father-in-law James Prowse in 1989. Rick was born on November 28, 1946 in Winnipeg, the younger of two children born to William and Pauline Orloff. He was raised in East Kildonan where he attended Prince Edward School, Munroe Junior High and Miles Macdonell Collegiate. Following his graduation from high school in 1963, Rick began to explore career options. At one point, he considered becoming a salesman for a distributor of pots and pans. However, Rick quickly realized this was not the job for him and walked out halfway through the training session. Eventually in 1967, Rick accepted a position as a driving instructor with Joe Vine Driving School. This was a major turning point for him. Not only had he obtained his first real full-time job, but he was about to give driving lessons to his future wife, a very pretty redhead named Doreen Prowse. Normal life, as Rick knew it, ceased to exist from the moment he met her. Rick and Doreen married on October 25, 1969. Their son, Michael, was born the following year. Early in their marriage, Doreen remained at home to raise their son. Rick, responsible now for a young family, began pursuing other employment opportunities. In the early seventies, he became a driver examiner with the Department of Highways. However, Rick was not content to remain at the same position indefinitely. He was smart, ambitious, and did not back down from challenges. The next 30 years saw him advance his career within Manitoba Transportation and Government Services and, at the time of his death, he was a senior systems analyst in the Motor Vehicle Branch. Rick was involved in the project that saw Manitobas drivers licenses converted into their new photo identification format. He was also proud of his contribution to the Year 2000 project, which ensured that all computers in the department recognized January 1, 2000 as a legitimate date. In June 2001, at the presentation of the Manitoba Service Excellence Awards, the International Registration Plan Team from Manitoba Transportation and Government Services (of which Rick was a member) was the recipient of the Innovation Award. Despite his dedication to his work, Rick was equally devoted to his family and friends. Although he enjoyed the occasional evening out, he was basically a homebody, preferring to entertain with his wife from the comfort of their home. Ricks skills as a cook were legendary amongst his friends and business associates, and whether he was serving hamburgers and hotdogs, or steak and lobster, he observed the same high standards. Ricks interests were many and varied. He enjoyed nothing better than relaxing in his den, reading an Elmore Leonard novel, and sipping a glass of fine wine. His taste in music ran from classic rock and roll to blues and jazz. He loved baseball, especially the New York Yankees. Rick was also a Trivia Pursuit fan, having collected over 18 editions of the game. His love of board games had been shared by Doreen and Michael and it was not unusual for Doreen to get up, go to bed, and leave father and son battling it out at the kitchen table until dawn. Rick had a special affection for his son and daughter-in-laws golden retriever, Basil. A source of comfort to Doreen before her death, Basil stayed with Rick afterwards. No doubt he will miss racing around the house with Rick. A memorial service will be held for Rick on Monday, August 27 at 4:00 p.m. at Korban Funeral Chapel, 907 Main St. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ricks memory to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, 301-352 Donald St., Winnipeg, MB R3B 2H8. KORBAN FUNERAL CHAPEL 956-2193

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 26, 2001