John Paul Orton

John Paul Orton, 78, of Indianapolis, IN, passed away on December 7, 2022, after a battle with prostate and bone cancer.

John was born on March 2, 1944, to Vernon and Irene Orton in Elmhurst, IL.

He was a veteran of the United States Navy, serving in Vietnam during the conflict. While overseas, he was a cook and photojournalist. After being honorably discharged, John traveled extensively and studied archaeology, taking part in several digs in the Middle East.

John met his wife, Tanya, in 2000, and they were married a year later. He retired from CVS in 2016, and he spent a lot of his free time reading mysteries and science fiction. He also loved collecting sports memorabilia as well as coins, and he took the time to present educational programs at a local elementary school. John loved his cats, rescuing several over the years and even regularly feeding a local feral colony.

John was predeceased by his parents as well as his brother, Roger Orton. He is survived by his wife, Tanya; his stepdaughter, Stephanie Dolan; his mother-in-law, Elsie Cardinal; his siblings, Nora Velarde and David Orton and his nieces and nephew, Cindy Phipps, Sylvia Allen and John Velarde.

Visitation will be held at Flanner & Buchanan Washington Park North on December 20 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Services will be held immediately following at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Wounded Warrior Project or Cats Haven Ltd.