Lewis "Big Lew" Orozco, a retired shipyard worker and former longtime Gardenville resident, died of cancer at the Baltimore Veteran's Administration Medical Center. He was 77.
Mr. Orozco was born in Chicago and was raised there and in Valparaiso, Ind., where he graduated from high school. During the 1950s, he served as an Army radar technician.
While stationed in Baltimore, he met and married Jean Rachuba in 1953.
After being discharged from the service, he worked as a streetcar motorman for the old Baltimore Transit Co., and after streetcar service ended in 1963, he drove transit buses.
From 1966 until retiring in 1996, Mr. Orozco worked in transportation at the Bethlehem Steel Corp.'s Sparrows Point shipyard.
An avid duckpin bowler, Mr. Orozco was given the nickname of "Big Lew" by his fellow bowlers, said a daughter, Sandy Scalise, of New Freedom, Pa.
Since 2002, Mr. Orozco lived in Shrewbury, Pa., where he enjoyed collecting coins, stamps and matchbook covers.
Mr. Orozco was a communicant of St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, 315 N. Constitution Ave., in New Freedom, Pa., where a Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 11 a.m. today.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Mr. Orozco is survived by three other daughters, Debbie Heatwole of Jarrettsville, Shelly Heatwole of Shrewsbury, Pa., and Jamie Franz of White Hall; a brother, John Orozco of Valparaiso; three sisters, Alice Fitzpatrick of Valparaiso, Renee Orozco of Chicago and Norma Heape of Los Angeles; and 13 grandchildren.
- Frederick N. Rasmussen