Sixty years of service recognised

Bruce Orr (83) gets a hug from his wife Daphne after receiving  a badge acknowledging his 60...
Bruce Orr (83) gets a hug from his wife Daphne after receiving a badge acknowledging his 60 years as a member of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand Freemasons, in Balclutha on Thursday. Photo by Hamish MacLean.
Bruce Orr was honoured this week at the Holmdene Home for Aged in Balclutha for 60 years' service to the Freemasons by the Grand Lodge of New Zealand Freemasons.

Witcliffe district grandmaster Ron Hunter called Mr Orr's commitment to the Roslyn Morning Star Lodge ''a great accomplishment'' and said his record at the Masonic lodge was ''marvellous''.

''You're a fine brother, and we appreciate that.''

Mr Orr followed in his father's footsteps and was initiated as a member of the Roslyn Morning Star Lodge on August 2, 1955.

Mr Orr's wife Daphne said he was always a ''quiet brother'', but added it was a bright day for her husband, who was at times frustrated by his health after suffering a stroke in his car in Caversham Rd, Dunedin, last year.

''He bowled a van over into two cars, and you should've seen our car. I don't know how he survived,'' Mrs Orr said.

Mr Orr was not injured in the crash, but he remained paralysed on his right side and was confined to a wheelchair.

He had difficulty communicating and eating, his wife said.

''He didn't have a bruise on him, but he ended up with this - what's worse?''

The Orrs lived in Green Island, East Taieri and Milburn before moving to Milton.

Mr Orr worked as a plumber, bus driver and at the cement works at Burnside before he became a driver for Dunedin Taxis.

He later became manager of the firm.

In his retirement, he drove the school bus in Milton.

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz

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