Marion Orr

Marion Marshall Orr, a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully at the age of 77 on May 20th, 2026 in New Milford, NJ after a long illness.

Born on September 6, 1948 in New York City to Jeanne Fox and Jack Orr, Marion spent a majority of her childhood raised by her single mother, which made them an inseparable pair. Her mother then married her stepfather, Jules Winarick, and had Marion's two brothers, Thomas and Peter.

After graduating high school from the Spence School, Marion embarked on a series of adventures. During a flirtation with Mormonism, she attended Brigham Young University in Utah. When she returned to New York, she began working at Billboard Magazine in Manhattan. She followed the company when it moved to Los Angeles, and while there, Marion took up TV writing and rented a house from Ravi Shankar.

When her mother got sick, Marion returned to New York and began working for legendary jazz keyboardist Bob James. While making arrangements for Bob to play The Bottom Line, she met the club's record company liaison, Jack Leitenberg. The two married, had two daughters, and moved to Rockland County.

By converting her basement office in New City, NY into Tappan Zee Records, Bob's record label, Marion continued her career in the music industry while staying involved with her kids' activities. From helping with French homework to lugging around cellos and saxophones to talking down "Coach Jack" when he yelled too much at basketball games, she kept her family functioning and happy.

Marion was also an avid reader of British mysteries, a bleeding-heart liberal, a pop-culture savant who could name filmographies years before IMDB existed, and the world's biggest drinker of Tab. Empathetic and kind, she volunteered her time at Meals on Wheels in Rockland County.

Following a massive stroke in 2010, Marion recovered much of her mobility thanks to rehabilitation at Helen Hayes Hospital and was able to dance at both her daughters' weddings. Her husband Jack served dutifully as her primary caretaker until his death in 2019, after which she moved into assisted living in New Jersey and enjoyed happy hours and visits from her grandchildren.

Marion is survived by her daughters Jeanne and Annie; sons-in-law Jordan Newman and Devin Passariello; grandchildren Leo and Margot Newman and Jack and Sonny Passariello; brothers Thomas (Lisa) and Peter (Antonella Denaro) Winarick; and sister-in-law Ellen Kanfer (Drew). She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Meals on Wheels Rockland and Helen Hayes Hospital.

Visitation will be held on Friday, 5/22 at 12:30pm followed by a funeral at 1:30 at Ballard-Durand in Hawthorne, NY. Burial will follow at Kensico Cemetery.