“I admired her priorities – God, family and city. She lived those priorities during her time in Prescott.”
Just two years ago, Orr was a nominee for the prestigious ATHENA Award sponsored by Quad Cities Business News and Prescott Woman Magazine.
Orr and her husband, Bob, moved from Prescott to Scottsdale in 2021 because of health issues.
City Manager Michael Lamar recalls Orr from the terms she served on the Prescott City Council. He says she was a dignified and loyal civic and public servant who always was seeking to build bridges and do whatever she could for the good of all citizens.
Greg Mengarelli, who served as Prescott mayor when Orr was on the council, said she was constantly looking to make things better for the people. “I admired her priorities – God, family and city. She lived those priorities during her time in Prescott.”
Orr was prominent in the “Yes for Prescott” campaign in 2017. At that time, the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) had created a tax burden of $78 million Unfunded Liability debt that the city was obligated to pay. Orr and her colleagues decided the way to reduce that liability was to assess a three-quarters-of-a-cent sales tax dedicated solely to paying down the PSPRS. That proposition was passed in a public referendum. Orr was often credited as being the “brains” behind that prudent financial decision.
Last fall, the city found itself in solid enough financial position that it could withdraw from assessing that tax. The General Fund is considered stabilized.
During three of her four years on Prescott City Council, Orr served as “Mayor Pro Tem,” a position whereby she assumed that leadership role when the major was unable to.
Active Career as Educator
Born in Mississippi, Orr grew up in what she called “hardscrabble circumstances.”
She focused her long-term personal goals on education as a way to advance. She visited Arizona in the late 1960s, established residency and enrolled at Mesa Community College. She followed that by moving to Arizona State University (ASU), where she earned a teaching degree and began a career at the Madison School District in Phoenix. She then enrolled in a master’s program at ASU.
She was in Arizona from 1967 until 2003. She and Bob moved briefly to Hawaii for only eight months. “We looked at Arizona again but decided to check out Wyoming and Montana. We landed in Bozeman, and were there eight years,” she had said in an interview.
Bob had a career as a cargo pilot in the Air Force; consequently, they moved around five times in three years. They also had a son, Porter, who later married Jennifer and made the Orrs grandparents of three children.
Upon returning to Arizona, she also enrolled in a Ph.D. program in leadership at ASU and found an opportunity to become involved in the Arizona Department of Education. Arizona Superintendent of Schools Lisa Graham Keegan invited Orr to work for the state for four years.
For a short term, Orr was directly involved with the presidential administration of George C. Bush in improving education standards nationwide.
When the Orrs moved to Prescott, Billie soon became involved in church, civic and community activities, such as Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Frontier Rotary Club, the Imagination Library at the Prescott Library and several boards and volunteer organizations. She helped create the local Pickleball Complex at Pioneer Park, where she played.
Prescott Mayor Phil Goode said he and his colleagues were sorry to hear of Orr’s death. “She served the community of Prescott very well during her time here.”
A memorial service was held for Orr Saturday, Jan. 14, at Paradise Memorial Garden in Scottsdale, where her life of service was celebrated. QCBN
By Ray Newton, QCBN
Courtesy Photo: City Council member and educator Billy Orr was a believer in education as a way for all to advance, and lived a life of service to her community.
