Obituary: Joseph Charles “Joey” Orris III

Joseph C. Charles “Joey” Orris III died Oct. 20, 2011, in a car accident near Rangely, Colo. He was 48.
Joey was born May 5, 1963, in Encino, Calif., to Joseph Charles Orris Jr. and Mary Lillian (Gamble) Orris. He weighed a whopping 4 pounds and 4 ounces and was 16 inches long. The family lived in California until big Joe retired from the U.S. Air Force and moved the family to Meeker, Colo. Joey started attending school in Meeker in the fourth grade and was graduated from Meeker High School in 1981. After high school is when Joey started his adventurous life.
He lived in numerous states but Meeker was always his home. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved every aspect of the outdoors, camping, hunting, skiing, snowmobiling and his most favorite was fishing. He loved to build log cabins and was so proud of how they turned out. He never bragged about anything but he would say you should see what a good job WE (meant he did it with his best buds) did on that house or cabin. But above all, Joey was known for his big smile, beautiful blue eyes and the biggest heart. He never knew a stranger and was a friend to all he knew.
Joey is preceded in death by his father and grandparents.
Joey is survived by his mother Lil Orris of Fruita, Colo.; children Madisen Cassity Jensen Orris and Andrew Orris, of Grand Junction, Colo.; sisters Judy (Billy) Bingham of Craig, Colo., and Max (Barry) Lister of Hotchkiss, Colo.; nieces Deidre and Kenlie Jewell of Fruita, Colo., and Lillianne Pearce of Aurora, Colo.; nephews Justin Pearce of Aurora, Colo., Jake and Mikey Bingham of Craig, Colo., Roggen Frick of Hotchkiss, Colo., and Karter Jewell of Fruita, Colo.; his aunt, Shirley (Lee) Heckman of Fort Collins, Colo; and numerous cousins.
A celebration of Joey’s life will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, at the Fairfield Center in Meeker, Colo. Services will conclude at the center.