Jon Orndorff once sang for 13 funerals in one day.
No one ever counted the times Orndorff, who died at 74, sang “Amazing Grace,” “In the Garden” or “The Old Rugged Cross,” the three most requested funeral hymns, said his wife, Margaret Orndorff, of Littleton.
“He never tired of the songs even though he sang them thousands of times,” she said.
A service for Orndorff is planned today at 7 p.m. at Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary Chapel, 7777 W. 29th Ave.
Orndorff had hip surgery in April and died of a subdural hematoma at Swedish Hospital on Friday.
At age 7, Orndorff gave his first solo performance. He also sang in the chorus at Central City Opera when he was a teenager and into adulthood. Orndorff sang for women’s clubs, men’s organizations, retirement communities and weddings. He was a singer at Unity Church for several years.
“He had a gorgeous baritone voice,” said Harry Stevenson, senior director of Advantage Runyan Stevenson Mortuaries.
“He never lost his diction or the quality and clarity of his voice,” Stevenson said.
Orndorff, who hoped to reach his 50th anniversary of funeral singing this year, sang until April. He had stacks of music. Only once did he not have music for a song that was requested: it was the Notre Dame fight song, said Margaret Orndorff.
He didn’t forget much. “I asked him once if he were going to rehearse before performing,” said his wife. “He just looked at me and said, ‘I can do it without rehearsing.’ ”
Jon Gary Orndorff was born in Denver on July 1, 1933. He graduated from East High School and studied music for three years at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver.
He began private music lessons early, said longtime friend Fred Putz of Highland Park, Ill., and soon became proficient in voice, piano and organ.
He was drafted into the infantry and served at Fort Carson, becoming a chaplain’s assistant and directing and playing in the 13th Army Battalion Chorus.
He began singing and playing piano and organ at Moore Mortuary in 1959.
He met Margaret McDonald in 1976 when she was working at Moore and he was the music director. They married April 23, 1976.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his stepdaughter, Jan Monroe of Golden, his stepson, Brien McDonald of Centennial; and four stepgrandchildren.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
