Service Saturday for Gardnerville businesswoman

A celebration of life is 6 p.m. Saturday at 1290 Kingsbury Grade for Jo Ann Lofland Orange, 64, who died Feb. 15, 2010, of pancreatic cancer.

Born April 3, 1945, in Dover, Del., to John Everett and Naomi Lofland, she was raised in Smyrna, Del.

She attended the University of Delaware for two years before leaving school to start a family. She later returned to college to complete her undergraduate degree and then a master's degree in social work at the University of Maryland.

Mrs. Orange worked as a court investigator in Montgomery County, Md., on behalf of children facing divorce and adoption. She later became an antiques dealer and certified personal property appraiser. She and her husband, Bud Orange, opened the House of Orange Antiques, first in Annapolis, Md., and then in Douglas County.

She lived in the Washington, D.C., area for more than 30 years before moving to Nevada.

Mrs. Orange was active in Nevada politics, working as a fervent supporter of the Democratic Party.

She was a founding member of many Democratic and women's organizations in Carson Valley and statewide including Douglas County Democratic Women.

She served as president of the organization for the first two years and was a driving force behind the Douglas County Democratic Women's yearly scholarship, which has awarded nearly $10,000 to graduating seniors at Douglas and Whittell high schools.

Mrs. Orange was also president of the Nevada State Federation of Democratic Women. She was active with Emerge Nevada, an affiliate of Emerge America, recruiting and providing training for young women to run for political office.

In 2006, Mrs. Orange was elected one of two rural at-large delegates to the Nevada State Democratic Party.

She was a longtime member of the party's executive board, the rural caucus board, and past executive board member of the Douglas County Democratic Central Committee. She was named to serve on the Nevada Caucus Commission that planned the 2008 Nevada presidential caucuses.

Mrs. Orange was recently honored for her work in the Nevada Democratic Party.

She was awarded the Star Citizen Award for lifetime achievement in Douglas County, a lifetime achievement award from Sen. Harry Reid and a certificate of appreciation from Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto.

Mrs. Orange's family has received condolences from several notable political figures including State Controller Kim Wallin and Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto.

She is preceded in death by her parents and brother John "Jack" Lofland.

She is survived by husband Bud Orange; children Lisa Hamburg (Craig) Pearson of Northville, Mich., Jonathan (Debbie) Hamburg of Woodsboro, Md., Jennifer (Dorian) Roach of Nassau, Bahamas; step-sons Scott (Beth) Orange of Sammamish, Wa., and Glenn Orange of Charleston, S.C.; and grandchildren Anna and Melissa Pearson, Gabrielle and Ryan Hamburg and Jacob, Noah and Naomi Roach.

Donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 2141 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245 or www.pancan.org.