Theodor Orjias

Published 10:34 am Thursday, December 19, 2024

Funeral services for Mr. Theodor Orjias Jr., age 95, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, at First Baptist Church in Tallulah, Louisiana, with Brothers Jason McGuffie and Jay Parker officiating. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church. A private burial for family and extended family will be held at Silver Cross Cemetery in Tallulah to follow.

Theodor Orjias Jr. passed away in the early afternoon hours of Dec. 17. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Jane Kyzar Orjias; son, Arthur Christian Orjias; father, Theodor Orjias Sr.; mother, Ramona Donaries Orjias; sisters, Juberta Orjias Maxwell and Ramona Orjias Turner; and brother, Arthur Otto Orjias.

He is survived by his son, Autie Orjias (wife Susan); daughter, Stephanie Orjias Cox (husband Craig); grandchildren, Benjamin Orjias, John Orjias, Elizabeth Martin Stanley, Albert Martin, and Marjorie Cox; and great-grandchildren, Logue Flowers, Vivien Stanley, Helen Stanley, Mary Martin Stanley, Charlotte Martin, Christian Martin, and Peyton Martin.

Ted was born on May 13, 1929, in New Orleans. He worked as a painter’s apprentice and a store clerk until he joined the United States Marine Corps in 1946 and was stationed in Guam. When he returned to the U.S. in 1950, he began working for the South Central Bell Telephone Company.

While traveling for work, he met his wife Betty and found himself unable to resist asking if he could buy her a Coca-Cola, and they married on April 15, 1956. Betty and Ted made their home in New Orleans, and their sons Autie and Chris were born there. Several years later, the family moved to Tallulah and they welcomed their daughter Stephanie to the family. While he and Betty raised their children, he continued working for South Central Bell Telephone Company and coached little league baseball. Upon his retirement in 1983, he opened his own telephone and electronics repair business called Ted’s Electronics.

He was incredibly proud of his children and grandchildren and eagerly listened to stories of their achievements in their academics, sports, careers, and personal lives. His family never failed to bring a smile to his faces. He and Betty enjoyed spending every chance they could celebrating their grandchildren’s accomplishments at Tallulah Academy and Loyola College Prep.

Ted had an insatiable appetite for learning, as evidenced by his desire to read anything and everything in sight. He loved obliterating his opponents in a game of checkers or trivia and tinkering with technology, often taking apart VCRs and radios only to immediately put them back together. He was a proud Marine veteran and an avid fan of the New Orleans Saints and Louisiana State University football and baseball.

Ted was a member of the First Baptist Church in Tallulah.

The family extends their love to Ted’s caretakers Angela Beard and Penney Wilkins whose devotion to his well-being quickly earned them his respect and affection. We also thank the staff at Legacy Nursing Home, Crossroads Hospice, and Dr. Corey Albritton. We deeply appreciate the love and compassion he was given by all who cared for him in his remaining years.

Ted’s grandsons, Albert Martin, Benjamin Orjias, and John Orjias, and his nephews, Kory Kyzar, Kasey Kyzar, and Patrick Stephens, will serve as pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be sent to Tallulah Academy, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, or your church of choice.