Life story

" Gerald Raymond Orvis, 70, of Alexandria, VA, passed away in his home on April 1, 2020. Born June 5, 1949 in Madison, Wisconsin, he was the son of the late Raymond and Jewel (Reuter) Orvis. Gerry, as he was known to his friends, is survived by his daughters Susan (William) Brinson of Campbell Hall, NY and Heather (Mickael) Fonteneau of Fredericksburg, VA who he shared with Brenda Orvis; his grandson Matthieu Fonteneau; his sister Connie Murphy of Madison, WI; his brother Kirk Orvis of Sun Prairie, WI; his nephew Aaron (Jodi) Orvis of Madison, WI.

Gerry was a proud Marine, Vietnam Veteran and career analyst at NCIS for more than 30 years. While he dedicated his entire professional life to the security and safety of our country, he was known personally as a dedicated family member and friend who could always be counted on for good conversation, advice and quick-witted humor. He was a virtual encyclopedia of all things history related and participated in various re-enactment groups which brought him great joy and lifelong friendships. An avid reader and collector of books, pens and other collectibles, Gerry passed a strong appreciation of learning and collecting to his daughters and grandson. He enjoyed a good scotch and thought everyone else should too, so long as they didn’t water it down, which in his opinion was a capital offense. Gerry was happy to catch a Nationals baseball game, go for a country drive while listening to John Phillip Souza and visit friends when he could. Over the course of his life he worked on genealogy projects and was interested in family history.

While Gerry had a strong interest in the past, his life works, contributions and his commitment to family and friends will have a profound impact moving forward. He will be dearly missed by family, friends and colleagues.

Details will be announced regarding a memorial luncheon and future interment at Quantico National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Semper Fi Fund in his memory. "