Orville Lavern Steele was born October 24, 1925 in the small town of Moorewood, Oklahoma to Georgia Tanner Barten Steele and Elmer Ezra Steele. When Orville was eight years old, his father died of Tuberculosis. He quit school at the end of the eighth grade to go to work and help support the family. He entered the Navy on February 5, 1944, and after boot camp at NTC San Diego was assigned to the escort carrier USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70) in the southern Pacific Ocean. While onboard, he manned an anti-aircraft gun, defending against Japanese attack. The day after turning 19, his task group, "Taffy 3," composed of flagship Fanshaw Bay, five additional escort carriers, and an accompanying screen of three destroyers and four destroyer escorts, outfought, outwitted and outmaneuvered a powerful Japanese task force of battleships, cruisers and destroyers, known as the "Battle off Samar." In recalling the incident, Orville said, "I thought I was going to die that day."

After discharge on May 4, 1946, he returned to Leedey, Oklahoma where his mother was living. He married Norma Doris Peck in 1947 and soon after a daughter was born, Loma Faye. He worked on his aunt and uncle's farm (Zona Gail and Orville Walton) until he went to work for Shell Oil Company on May 17, 1948.

Due to the nature of his work, he and Norma moved all over the central portion of the United States. A son, Paul Alan, was born in 1954 in Altus, Oklahoma. In 1972 while living in Grayling, Michigan he lost Norma to cancer. He later met Eva Yvonne Cordes after moving to Alpena, Michigan. They were married in June of 1975. In 1976, while still working for Shell, Orville and Yvonne moved to Lubbock, Texas with her two children, Jo Ann and Mike. Yvonne's oldest daughter, Bonnie, remained in Michigan with her father.

Orville retired from Shell Oil Company on September 1, 1986 after 38 years of service. He and Yvonne remained in Lubbock after his retirement. Almost every weekend they entertained friends and family with food, beer, card games and washer playing. In the winter of 2019 it became necessary for Yvonne to go to an Alzheimer's care facility. Orville remained in their home with his beloved dog and constant companion, Buba, until the summer of 2021 when he moved in with his daughter in Ardmore, Oklahoma. He died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of March 7, 2022 at the age of 96 years, 4 months and 11 days.

He is survived by his wife Yvonne; daughter, Loma Womack of Ardmore; son, Paul Steele and wife, Sandy of Lone Grove; stepchildren, Bonnie Ilicin and husband, Al of Michigan; Jo Overstreet and husband, Dickie of Lubbock; Mike Cordes and wife, Jill of Lubbock; grandchildren, Wes Womack, Randy Womack, Amy Steele; step-grandchildren, Jami Benoit, Jo Meads, Jessi Tola, Casi Sullivan, Cori Overstreet, Bayli Cordes; four great-grandchildren, twelve step-great-grandchildren and two step-great-great-grandchildren; and beloved dog and companion, Buba. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Norma; and three brothers, Kenneth, Willis, and Mennis.

Online condolences can be made at craddockfuneralhome.com.