Ietje van Dobbenburgh Orr

May 3, 1930 – March 10, 2024

Last updated 3/26/2024 at 11:17am

Ietje van Dobbenburgh Orr, 93, a former long-time resident of Sisters, passed away March 10, in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Ietje is survived by her daughters Chapin Zakrzewski of Portland, Oregon, and Missy Orr (Dave Bullamore) of Holly Springs, North Carolina, granddaughter Alyssa Kuwik (Jordan) of Edgewood, Washington, grandson Garrett Zakrzewski (Leanna) of New Orleans, Louisiana, great-grandson Lincoln Zakrzewski and several second and third cousins in her native homeland of the Netherlands.

Born May 3, 1930, in Ede, Netherlands, to Willem and Ida van Dobbenburgh, Ietje and her parents moved to Enka, NC, in 1934. Ietje's father was a charter manager at the Enka Rayon factory. In May 1951, Ietje graduated with a degree in Zoology from Duke University, where she met Harry Orr. They were married in November of that year.

Ietje and Harry lived in many different locations as they followed Harry's assignments with the U.S. Navy, settling in Charleston, South Carolina, where Chapin and Missy were born.

In 1963, Harry and Ietje moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where Harry attended dental school. Upon his completion in 1966, they moved to California, then Oregon before permanently settling in Los Altos, California, in 1968. Harry established a dental practice in Palo Alto. Ietje switched between being a stay-at-home mother and working alongside Harry in his 22 years of dental practice. They retired in 1990 and set about to travel the world, literally.

Ietje, with Harry, was a lifelong world traveler. While too numerous to mention all the trips they completed, they favored Scotland, New Zealand, Thailand, and Iceland, and made several trips to each of those countries. They explored all 50 states in the USA and touched six continents.

Ietje and Harry moved to Sisters in 1992, where they lived until 2017, when they moved to Bend. While at home in Sisters, Ietje and Harry were active in the Homeowner's Association and various clubs. They loved to cook and entertain guests in their home.Ietje moved to Cary, North Carolina, in 2022.

A private celebration of life for Ietje's immediate family is planned for later in the year.