Myrtle Josephine (Hamilton) Orzalli
Myrtle Josephine (Hamilton) Orzalli passed peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones, on Sunday, April 11th, 2021 after a brief illness.
Myrtle Jo, as she was known to friends and family, was born December 26, 1930 in Sonora, California to parents Dr. Robert Lucian and Marion Lois (Painter) Hamilton. She graduated from Yuba City High School before studying nursing, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California San Francisco in 1954.
She married her high school sweetheart, John “Jack” Benton Orzalli June 15, 1952. They were married for 63 years and had three children: Amy, Clarke, and Diana. Together they traveled the country as Jack served in the US Navy and Myrtle Jo managed life on the homefront through 26 moves over a 23-year career.
After Jack’s retirement from active duty service, they settled into life as snowbirds, spending summers in York, Maine, and winters in Matlacha, Florida. Together, they enjoyed traveling and playing bridge with friends. As a Navy wife, she was active in the Julie Singers, and as a Gray Lady volunteering in hospitals. She also was in many bowling leagues, and dominated the family ping-pong table. Myrtle was an accomplished watercolor artist and a member of the Pine Island Art Association, who was recognized at their juried shows for her paintings of the birds she loved watching from her porches in both Maine and Florida. She also was an avid reader and enjoyed sharing with her book club friends. She was an active member of the York/Ogunquit (ME) Methodist Church and the First Congregational Church in Cape Coral (FL).
She will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved her, especially her family: son RADM J. Clarke Orzalli USN (Ret.) and his wife Dale, daughter Rev. Diana Hunter and her husband Alan Cyr, son-in-law James P. Dwyer III; grandchildren: Megan (Dwyer) Capewell and husband Robert, Sarah Orzalli, James P. Dwyer IV, Ian Orzalli and his wife Megan, and Robert Orzalli; great-grandchildren: Cadence, Amalia, Kyra, and Lacey Capewell. She was predeceased by her husband, CAPT Jack Orzalli USN (Ret.), her daughter Amy Ruth (Orzalli) Dwyer, and her brother Dr. Robert Lucian Hamilton.
Plans for a memorial service will be delayed due to the ongoing pandemic. Donations may be made in her memory to organizations supporting ALS research. Guestbook at www.solimine.com