Walter Dean Orbin

WALTER DEAN ORBIN

Walter Dean Orbin, 87 of Madison, passed away on October 11, 2025, in his home with family at his side. Walt was born in the home of his grandparents, in Macon Mo to Walter Dee and Frances Belle Collins Orbin, His parents named him Walter Dean, because they wanted to name him Walter but did not want him called Jr, so they changed his middle name to “Dean”. Walt grew up on a farm in Cox. His early school years were spent in a one-room schoolhouse. He often spoke of riding his horse Beauty to school with his brother Dave. He attended high school at Macon, where he was a member of the FFA. He graduated in 1955. Walt married in 1958. The couple first lived in a small house on the family farm, known as Cox place, where their first child Penny was born in 1960. After the birth of the second daughter Bonny in 1962, and times getting harder on the farm, the family of 4 moved to town and lived at 316 Riggs in Macon. They purchased a new Mobile Home, that Walt referred to as the “Cracker Box”, where the 3rd child Mike was born in 1966.

Walt loved going fishing, seining and gigging with his brother-in-law Ronald D Smith, known as Ronny or Tater. Ronny’s family and Walt’s family spent many weekends camping, fishing and swimming. One of Walt’s first jobs away from working on the family farm was a bagger at the IGA store just north of the Samaritan Hospital in Macon. He later was employed by Stampers, now known as Con-Agra for several years. His daughters have memories of going to visit him at work in the freezers and seeing the assembly lines making the frozen dinners. Walt had to relocate his family, due to the health of his youngest child in 1970. So, the family packed up and moved the “Cracker Box” to Columbia. His 1st job was with Boggs Construction. Walt did not care for working with concrete, so he changed jobs, and was hired by the University of Missouri in 1971, to work at Central Supply delivering food and supplies to the hospitals and college residential halls in Columbia. He and his wife divorced in 1973. On May 11, 1975, Walt married the love of his life Wanda Maxine Moody Hoover in Iowa. They lived in Columbia at first and then relocated to Ashland. Wanda was interested in CB’s and got Walt interested in them also. His CB handle was “Winchester”. They enjoyed many years of traveling around the United States. They went to such places as Graceland, Mount Rushmore, and The Grand Ole Opry. Walt retired from the University in 1998 the couple moved to Lebanon MO to be closer to Wanda’s sons. Walt remained in Lebanon, until the death of his wife on August 13, 2008, where she had been in a nursing home in Mansfield MO. for several years.

With Walt aging, he wanted to be closer to his family up north so he moved to Randolph County in 2008. Wanting to give up the work of taking care of a yard and home he moved again into an apartment in Madison, MO in 2011. Walt spent his next year’s attending ball games, 4H events, pageants, and graduation with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. His grandchildren's friends referred to him as “Gramps”. Some of the kids referred to him as the grandpa with “4 fingers” due to an accident where he lost a finger in 1997.

He loved to play cards and board games, especially Aggravation with the kids. Walt was a big fan of War and Western movies, especially Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and John Wayne. He loved Country music especially Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. His daughter Bonny and grandchildren, Courtney and Lindsey would take vacation with Walt and travel to different states, they would try and go every year to somewhere new. Their first trip was to Texas in 2009 where they drove all the way to Corpus Cristy, where he got to tour the USS Lexington Aircraft carrier, referred to as the “Blue Ghost”. Walt wanted to try all moods of travel from planes, cruise ships and trains. He completed one of his goals by train, where he took the Amtrak to Chicago IL and toured the tallest building “Willis Tower” where he walked out on the Skydeck. He traveled to such places as the Gene Autry Museum, Johnny Cash Museum and Roy Rogers Museum, where he enjoyed seeing his idols from TV and Radio. Including Trigger, Buttermilk and Bullet the wonder dog. He traveled to see Little Big Horn, Alamo, Dodge City, and the Johnson Space Center. Walt's last trip was in 2019, where he got to see Thomas Jefferson's home, George Washington Home, and visit the inside of the White House. Penny's favorite memory was watching Star Trek with her dad when she was five years old, even though Walt did not care for science fiction shows. They also enjoyed weekend drives that went nowhere but always ended up somewhere interesting. When Walt's health began to decline, he gave up his apartment and moved into his daughter Bonny and her husband John. Where he resided till his passing. Walt grew up in the Christian faith. He, his brother and parents all attended the Fairview Christian Church in Cox. Walt was baptized in the First Christian Church in Moberly. While living in Madison, he attended the Madison Christian Church.

Walt is survived by his daughters Penny and her husband Randy Neeson of Clark, Bonny and her husband John of Madison, and Son Mike of Texas. Brother David Orbin and wife Donna of Macon. 6 Grandchildren, Charles Black and his wife Kim of Mount Vernon, MO, Sandy Andrade and her husband Mario of Madison, Christina Hull and her husband Phillipp of Moberly, Courtney Johnston and her husband Billy of Madison, Sammi Neeson of Clark, and Lindsey Hendren and her partner Parker. 9 great grandchildren, Kaylynn, Matthew, Tony, Jonathan, Paige, Triston, Josie, Devynn and Lilac. Cousins, nieces and nephews. Walt was preceded in death by his wife, Wanda and his parents Walter and Frances, and brother-in-law Ronald Smith.

Graveside services will be announced at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Madison Cancer Society or to the March of Dimes, c/o Oliver Funeral Home, P.O. Box 125, Centralia, MO 65240. Condolences may also be made to the family at www.oliverfuneralhome.net