John Abraham Van Orman 1913 ~ 2005 John Abraham Van Orman, 92, died peacefully at home in Provo, Utah on November 2, 2005. He followed his wife of 70 years, Eva Christensen Van Orman, six weeks after her death. "John A" was born in Montpelier, Idaho on April 15, 1913, the third of four children of John Van Orman and Dorothea Welker. He was also preceded in death by his siblings and two sons, Robert and Chresten. He will be lovingly remembered by daughter Ellen Hutt (Larry) and sons Jan (Margot) and Greg (Mickey), and his 11 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. John had exceptional artistic talent and overcame amazing odds to become a prominent commercial artist. He moved to New York City when he was 19 and within a few years became the youngest art director in New York. He married Eva Christensen on September 26, 1935; they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. In 1954, John followed the movie industry to Southern California, where he raised his family. He worked with each of the major motion picture studios and was the art director at Universal Studios for most of his career. In 1975, John and Eva moved to St. George, Utah and spent their summers at Bear Lake, Idaho. They loved the mountains of the West and the beauty of nature. John's favorite times were returning to Idaho to walk the mountains he walked as a youth. John had an abiding faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ and was strongly loyal to his family. He served as a bishop in Encino, California and throughout his remaining life heard from those whose lives he had touched. He was a quiet, dignified and respectful man who was reluctant to impose upon others. The son of a blacksmith and elementary school teacher, he was self-taught and fiercely independent. He provided well for his family and left an inspiring example of achievement and hard work. He was honored in a family gathering on November 7, 2005 and buried in the Provo City Cemetery.
Obituary: John Abraham Van Orman
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