Miss you Papi, Feliz Cumpleanos!

Siempre recordando a Jorge, gran amigo de mi juventud. Saludos a toda su familia.

Missing you, Abuelito, we love looking at the pictures and remembering our fun times together. Salud, amor y dinero!

Siempre recordando a mi querido amigo de mi adolescencia en Baltimore. Con un afectuoso abrazo a toda su familia.

Missing you, Papi, wish you were still here❤️❤️❤️❤️

From our hearts to heaven, Happy birthday uncle Jorge...we will always love you.

Siempre te recordaremos en nuestros corazones tío Jorge.

Such a great idea to keep the memories alive. My deepest wishes to the Ordonez family.

We heard of Jorge's passing while in Spain. While we were deeply saddened, we remember our dear friend with so much life to give and so many memories shared. Jorge's love of family was so evident in his daily life. He never forgot his beloved family in Panama, his love of soccer, he cherished family values and tradiciones, loved music and dancing, and most of all he cherished his beloved wife, Jean. He was a dear friend whom we admired for the great person and friend that he was. He will be forever missed and remembered! Love you my dear friend! Hannelore and Rolando

Soy un antiguo amigo estadounidense de Jorge. Nos conocemos en Baltimore desde 1959 hasta mas o menos al 1963. Yo estaba tratando de aprender español y Jorge y otros amigos latino americanos me ayudaban mucho. Astimos juntos a muchos fiestas y bailes. Jorge siempre era feliz y un caballero de orden de la mas alta nivel. La oportunidad de conocer a Jorge Ordóńez ha enriquecido a mi vida. Aun no hemos vimos por mas de cincuenta años, el fallecimiento de Jorge me pone muy triste. Descansas en paz amigo.

Dennis R. Neutze

Me siento honrado de haber conocido a Jorge en 1959 en Baltimore y compartido con él muchas experiencias debido a una estrecha amistad que se inició en Loyola en ese año cuando estudiabamos juntos, con mi hermano y con otro entrañable amigo, Rodolfo Zea. Leyendo los mensajes de varios de sus amigos, vienen a mi memoria, todas sus cualidades que hacían de él una persona realmente extraordinaria. Jorge frecuentaba mucho nuestra casa en Baltimore en aquellos años que mi padre se desempeñó como Consul del Ecuador en dicha ciudad. Fue inseparable de mi hermano Lucho, ya fallecido y de Rodolfo, con quienes organizaba fiestas, paseos y un sin numero de actividades. Pero Jorge igualmente compartía conmigo, algo menor y con mis hemanas aún niñas, asi como con mis padres y abuelo que vivió con nosotros. Como gran conversador que era, no se me olvidan las largas veladas en la casa de los Zeas, cuando tambien otro gran conversador, como fue el Dr. Alvaro Zea nos tenía como hipnotizados a todos. Siempre conmigo se mostró como un gran amigo y lo veaía casi todos los días en el ,campus de Loyola; ese fue el año de su graduación, Esa sonrisa tan natural y su don de gentes era suficiente para que todos automaticamente se sintieran atraidos y le brindaran su amistad. Recuerdo de tantas veces que lo encontrabamos en su su trabajo en el Child Study Center, con jóvenes con vidas problemáticas, bromeaban y admiraban a quien lograba extraer lo mejor de ellos, motivándolos con el deporte, las bromas y sanos consejos. Hay tantas historias que contarlas todas seria para escribir un libro de apenas 3 años que pasamos en Baltimore. Tenía consejos para todos, sea cual sea su edad o condición social. Se sentía orgullososu pais y de sus origenes. Siempre recordaba a su familia, nos contaba del personaje que recreaba en la radio o quizas fue ya en la Televisió de "Cuquito Perez" y con cariño lo llamabamos Enrique "Cuquito". En Loyola me daba consejos sobre profesores, actividades extra curriculares, deportes. Por el pertenecí al Club de Fotografía. Juntos ibamos a los juegos de Basketball y de Football, y nos emocionabamos por lo destacados que fueron los equipos del Colegio. Uno de las estrellas del equipo de Football fue mi compañero, Henry Blaha, y Jorge también se hizo su amigo. Que buen bailarín que fue. Les enseñaba a mis hermanas y muchas de las chicas amigas, los pasos del " cha, cha,cha", que dominaba. Coompartimos con Jorge dos emocionantes dias en Pimlico, en las carreras de caballo, y nos emocionó presentándonos al ya famoso Jockey, Manny Ycaza, su primo. Manny no solo nos trató muy deferentemente mientras hacia su paseseo en un hermoso ejemplar, sino que inclusive nos dio un tip sobre un caballo que podría ganar una de las carreras con pocas posibiliddases en las apuestos y acerto. Los recuerdos de nuestra amistad han permanecido frescos e imborrables en la memoria. Es asi como despues de casi 60 años de haber pérdido contacto, buscándolo en la web por su nombre, un dia me aparece una reseña de la boda de una brillante joven abogada y, sin foto, aparece el nombre del padre, Jorge Ordoñez. Una corazonada me hace pensar que se podria tratar de mi gran amigo y gracias al correo electrónico de Sarita disponible por su profesión logré conectarme con Jorge y su excepcional compañera Jean, quien a su vez, resulta que fue compañera de otra entrañable amiga, Pat Ostrowski, siendo su esposo Ivan y la propia Pat del grupo de los mejores amigos en aquellos inolvidables años de Baltimore. Solo quiero compartirles un recuerdo más ; en la celebración de un día internacional de países en la escuela internacional de mujeres de Notre Dame, quienes se robaron el show fueron Jorge y la hija del Consul de Panama, interpretando con mucha gracia un baile tipico Panameño. Celebro con Uds la vida de un amigo, con el que pude hablar largo , quizas el destino lo deseó así una año antes de su partida, quedándome la tristeza de no haberle dado un último abrazo. Que gran riqueza espirtual que deja a la familia y a todos los que tuvimos la suerte de conocerle y admirar sus cualidades. Espero que pueda algún día cercano compartir con su linda familia y amistades. Un afectuoso abrazo a todos, en mi nombre de mi esposa Marjorie y de nuestros hijos. Gracias Sarita por haberme reconectado con mi viejo amigo

I never knew Jorge or your family but wanted to share words of encouragement. From the comments I can see he was surrounded by friends and family who loved him and he had a big impact on all your lives. Although death just seems to be a part of our lives it’s still hard to see our loved ones pass away. We can look forward to a time when Revelation 21:3,4 will be fulfilled and we won’t have to face pain or tears and death will be eliminated. Until that time —deep sympathy—Julia

Jorgé y yo trabajamos juntos en la División de Servicios Psicológicos y Sociales en el Departamento de Libertad Condicional Juvenil del Condado de Harris desde mediados de los años 80 hasta 1990, en Houston. Jorgé fue un colega tan excepcional en el inicio de nuestra división en el departamento y todo el trabajo duro que tomó. Todos disfrutamos de la personalidad vivaz de Jorgé, su maravilloso sentido del humor, optimismo y gran sonrisa. Ni siquiera le importó que le bromeáramos en su primer cumpleaños el 1 de abril. Tan entristecido de escuchar que Jorgé se ha ido de este mundo. La más profunda simpatía hacia su esposa y familia. Por favor, sepan que Jorgé contribuyó enormemente y de manera invaluable a elevar y enriquecer muchísimas vidas a través de su trabajo en el Departamento de Libertad Condicional Juvenil del Condado de Harris.

Jorgé and I worked together in the Division of Psychological and Social Services in the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department from the mid '80's until 1990, in Houston. Jorgé was such an exceptional colleague in the initiation of our division in the department and all the hard work it took. We all enjoyed Jorgé's vivacious personality, wonderful sense of humor, optimism and big smile. He didn't even mind our pranking him on his April 1st birthday. So saddened to hear that Jorgé has departed this world. Deepest sympathy to his wife and family. Please know that Jorgé contributed immeasurably and invaluably to uplifting and enriching a great many lives through his work in the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department.

Hello, everyone! I made a youtube video that's a slideshow of all the family photos I collected. It's nice to watch if you're missing Papi.

copy and paste this link to your browser:
https://youtu.be/kcC3ssfR-s4

Thanks, Brittany

Tio Jorge, gracias por ser tan especial, aunque vivías lejos siempre se podía contar contigo, porque tu te hacías sentir cercano, criaste a tu familia con amor a Panamá y a su familia panameña. Me encantaba compartir contigo cuando venias a visitarnos y no importa cuanto tiempo había pasado desde la ultima vez que nos vimos no parecía tanto.
Siempre estuviste atento a tu mamita. Tus conversaciones siempre eran interesantes, y recuerdo cuando tu y mi mama se enfrascaban en discusiones porque no se ponían de acuerdo, pero al final no había pasado nada, cada quien quedaba pensando igual.
Ahora ya descansas, y estás mejor. Que el Señor te de el descanso eterno y Brille para ti la luz perpetua.

Jorge was a kind and gentle soul as well as lots of fun. I'll always remember his holding one grandchild or another as
s/he reached to touch something like a Christmas tree ornament and Jorge would say "suave Safiya or Noemi, suave." I recall the Swearingen's dog Samy, and Jorge saying to the girls in a whisper, "suave, suave".....pet him gently,.
I wish I could be there today. I'll miss you Jorge. And I will miss Jean
and Jorge as a married couple. I'll forever see you and Jean dancing,
and be reminded of the family you and Jean produced and nurtured
into adulthood. Then the great spouses and in most cases, the grandchildren they produced, and they also love you deeply as frequent participants in their lives.

Jorge,
When we met at Murillo & Associate in 1991, you were a clinical psychologist counseling adult sex offenders on probation. I was a clinical social worker working with juvenile offenders on probation. Later, you hired me to work for you at the Juvenile Probation.
We were from different worlds, me from Nigeria, and you, from Panama.
You were an unequaled mentor, who later became a good friend. In you, I found a kindred spirit. In the 14 years that I worked with you, I learned many things. Among them;
How playing soccer will be beneficial to my daughters; that not only is it good for their coordination, it might also lead to a college scholarship .You persuaded me by citing your children as examples!. Because of you, one of my three girls did play soccer. And although she chose another sport before college, she still talks about how much she enjoyed her time at her Soccer club. And yes, she testified that it helped her coordination!
I learned about you and your beautiful family; that you were always striving to be a better husband, a better father and of course, a better story teller! You talked with a father’s pride about your children, their accomplishments and struggles, their passion and compassion for the less fortunate. You talked about how you cherished Jeannie, your wife. From you, I learned how to be a good husband and father. 
I learned about the benefits of struggles and perseverance. You shared about your long trek in the snow in Baltimore while in High school and college. You shared the sacrifice others made for you to get your medical and educational needs met.
You shared how your perseverance and not giving up helped you get the girl of your dream! 
I learned how it is important to treat our clients with compassion, respect and dignity because “you never knew what their future holds. Besides, someday, it might be their turn to give you the same treatment that you gave them, good or bad”. 
You recounted the story of how the inmate in the State Institution where you worked in New York rioted against staff. In the ensuing chaos, some staff were hurt, some held hostage. But you were spared. You were spared because you were nice to them and treated them with dignity and respect. You advocated for them. You defended them when no one else would. They remembered your compassion for them. 
In Juvenile Probation, you taught me how to be a better person, a better counselor. We often had lunch together. One lesson I learned from our lunchbreaks was that I’m more successful when I listened to you than when I tried to interrupt you with questions when telling your many stories. It was difficult to get you to stop once you are on the roll. I learned about the Carnival in Panama, the many days of festivities in which the whole town participates. The cultural and traditional masks, the feasting, the colorful attires and of course, the dancers and their dancing. Always excited when talking about the yearly carnival. You told those stories so well, as only you could. 
I often called you, Dr. O.., sometimes, Jorge. I remember that you always made sure people know how to pronounce your name: Jorge Ordonez, correctly. You were successful, most of the time, in getting us to say your name the right way.
I did not have such luck. As much as I tried, I was unsuccessful in teaching you to say my name correctly: because, you still call me “See” instead of “Zee”. You say my name as if the first letter starts with S instead of Z. I finally gave up and accepted the fact that to you, I will always be “See”.
When you retired in 2005, you left a vacuum in Psychological and Social Services, and the whole of Harris County Juvenile Probation. That vacuum was not filled 11years later when I left the department. Everyone knew about the passion and compassion of “Doc”, “Dr. O” or “Jorge” we affectionately called you. You were a passionate advocate for the juvenile offenders whom we served, no matter their alleged offense, their race or skin color. Although we are responsible for serving all youths in the detention center, you always reminded us to pay special attention to non-English speaking youths, youths with disabilities, younger youths, minority youths, as per the culture of juvenile detention center, “at risk” youths who could not articulate their needs and concerns, powerless youths who were vulnerable to abuse, bullying and exploitations in the hands of staff and other youths.
You were well known by all at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas: Judges, probation officers, teachers, psychiatrists, psychologists and other colleagues in the mental health profession with whom we worked. Lawyers sought you out to testify on behalf of their juvenile clients, knowing you always emphasize the “hidden” good in those children, rather than harping on how bad they were. Yes, you were sorely missed!
Although we exchanged occasional phone calls and holiday greetings, I never saw you again until last year, 2016. After years of extended invitation to my family, we finally visited. Like a long-lost family member, you and your wife, Jeannie, welcomed us with open arms. Your daughters and one of your sons came to welcome us. We also had the chance to meet your beautiful grandchildren. We enjoyed our time together at your beach home, on the beach, the city tour and the meals that we had together, again, after so many years. Our visit with you in San Diego, the last leg of our California vacation, was one of the highlights of the year!
As it now turned out it was also the last time we would see you. Now, I’m thankful for the chance to see you again since you left Houston in 2005. My family also thank you. 
Thank you for being my mentor, my boss, my lunch partner and my dear friend. Now that you have entered your eternal rest, farewell dear friend, until that day when we will meet again, and hopefully, if God wills, resume our friendship.
Zee Oduola

I never had the pleasure of meeting Jorge, yet I felt like I knew him. His son Sergio and Sergio's girlfriend Antonella are two of my closest, dearest friends. Sergio would often tell us dear, heartfelt stories about his parents, including how his mom and dad met. I always love hearing those stories. Rest in peace dear Jorge. My thoughts and prayers are with Sergio and his entire family. Love, Tiana

Oh how he loved this version of "Always Love You" by Whitney Houston and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On"! Always a romantic, Papi was passionately in love with our mother. As a teenager, I would often accompany him to buy the perfect gift for her birthday or their anniversary. He declared his love for her and for us daily through his affection, generosity and attention.

We will always remember Jorge as kind and generous, and as a terrific storyteller. He volunteered to record a video of our wedding and did a fantastic job - we treasure that recording (as well as his occasional comments from behind the camera!). We heard his stories about coming to the US several times, and they were better every time. We'll miss him.
-Alison Landsberg and Matt Karush

Jorge will certainly be missed. I loved his amazing sense of humor and wit! 
I will always remember what a fantastic dancer he was as he waltzed with Lisa on her wedding day.
So sorry not to have been able to spend more time with him.

Tio Jorge, you were always smiling!  You will be missed by everyone

I am grateful to have known Papi as a soccer coach. He was so generous with his time, coaching our team for years. His love for his family was obvious. I was lucky to spend a few years in San Diego and cross paths with him and his lovely family. He was incredibly encouraging and knowledgeable as a coach. He will be missed!

I'm so grateful that I had the chance to sit at Papi's knee and listen to all his wonderful stories. They will stay with me forever. His enthusiasm for life is an inspiration to us all and I can only hope to follow his example.

Pueden dejar mensajes en español. Comments are welcomed in Spanish. Gracias!

Uncle Jorge will always remember you. I remember my first conversation with you and all the advise you bring me, thanks uncle. Im sad that my favorite FIFA referee will not see Panama at his first worldcup...not here to see the games but in heaven I will hear your voice saying Luis that should be penalty, thats a fault what a great goal.....we love you uncle Jorge will miss you a lot.

Uncle Jorge - you are missed!  Prayers with the family.

He made me laugh;he made me think; the sun is not as bright today

To know Jorge was to know a GENTLEman who loved life and its gifts. Always positive, always thoughtful, he brought peacefulness and grace wherever he went. Even as the token male in Readers' Theater, he was ready for all the ladies with sincerity and charm. Rest gently, Jorge, as you distributed your peace in life, may it bless you in reward.

Love you Papi! Looking over a lot of family photos and it makes me smile to see you smiling.

Tio Jorge I will always remember you. "Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day... unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and very dear " . Unknown.

No matter how many times he told us the same story, each time I felt like it was a whole new story. I was always interested!
I love you abuelito!
-Noemi

Papi, I will miss you so much. Love you always.

Jorge you always made me smile. Thanks for being such a good brother-in-law.