Teacher, Child and Family Advocate, Wife, Mother, Sister, and Friend
Myrna was born February 11, 1941 to Ethel and Homer Kinyon. She grew up in Joplin, MT and graduated from high school in 1959. She attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA where she met William Orme. They married on June 14, 1961, and were sweethearts for life. Myrna and Bill have two children; Mark (Stephanie) of Seattle and Natasha of Bellingham, WA and three granddaughters; Chenoa, Sara, and Tessa. Myrna loved and cared for her family above all.
Myrna’s other passions included traveling and her career in early childhood education. Myrna completed her undergraduate education at Western Washington University in Bellingham, and later a Master’s Degree in Education from Brigham Young University. Myrna spent her career in early childhood education holding a variety of positions both in the classroom as well as in administration. At the heart of her career she worked for the Rural Alaska Community Action Program in Anchorage, first as Coordinator of Training for Head Start, and later as Director of Child Development where she led Head Start for the entire state of Alaska.
Myrna was courageous and an adventurer at heart and as a result lived in a number of places including Bellingham, WA, American Samoa, Anchorage and Juneau, AK, and finally Seattle, WA. She loved to travel both for work and pleasure. Myrna explored the Alaskan bush, the South Pacific, Europe, Mexico, and the Middle East.
After retirement, Myrna and Bill bought a motorhome and traveled throughout the “lower 48” before settling down in Seattle to be near their granddaughters. After a difficult and courageous struggle with a number of illnesses, Myrna died peacefully on January 17, 2015. She was 73 years old. Myrna is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren, and sisters; Esther May (Conrad) and Eldora Rosling (Bernie) and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service will be held in Seattle at a later date. Myrna’s final resting place will be the Evergreen Cemetery, Juneau, AK. For information regarding services in Seattle or Juneau, please contact J. Cechony, (206) 781-6997 x107 or by e-mail at Orme@NewDestinies.org