Orel Dugger

Orel Carlyle Dugger was born September 22, 1936 in Amarillo, TX. He passed away November 29, 2021 in Tahlequah, OK.

After his family's brief four-year stay at his grandfather's farm in NW Oklahoma, his family returned to Amarillo where he graduated from Amarillo High School and Amarillo Junior College. He completed his Bachelor of Journalism degree at the University of Texas in Austin in 1960.

His career with the US Naval Reserve began on his 17th birthday. After completing the Navy's Officer Candidate School and college, he was promoted to an Ensign at age 23. Six months later he married the love of his life, Beulah Sue Harwood on Veterans Day, 1960.

Orel's naval service began as the Public Affairs Specialist aboard the aircraft carrier USS RANGER based in Alameda, CA, continued as Media Relations Officer for the Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force in Pearl Harbor, HI, and special projects officer in the Navy's Office of Information at the Pentagon in Washington DC. Included among his special project assignments was preparation of the public affairs plan for return of the USS PUEBLO crew from North Korea. Finally, he was the public affairs officer for the Commander, US Naval Forces Southern Command in Panama and reached the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

After military retirement he was Chief Advertising and Sales Promotion for Army Recruiting Command districts at Amarillo, TX and Charlotte, NC; Chief Public Affairs Office at the Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla, WA, Public Affairs Officer for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA, and Public Affairs Specialist at the Army Corps of Engineers North Pacific Division Office in Portland, OR.

Orel thought anyone's physical, emotional and spiritual problems could all be solved with a big bowl of buttered popcorn. He thought a "jalapeno pepper a day would keep the doctor away". He also believed it was OK to have occasional wine with our meals. He loved fast cars and French poodles. He preferred manual typewriters over computers. He was enamored with clocks and watches - the more intricate, the better. His favorite saying was "everything works and nothing hurts".

He is survived by his wife Sue, daughter Lisa Natalia George, son Steven Michael Dugger, brother and sister-in-law Ken and Janet Dugger, grandsons Travis and Dayne Jonsrud, granddaughter Anamika Dugger, nephew and wife Alan and Gina Dugger, nephew and wife David and Shannon Dugger, niece and husband Denise and Kent Tidwell, 7 grand nieces and nephews, and one great grandnephew.