Margrethe Warden

Margrethe Warden of Buford, Georgia departed this life abruptly on June 24, 2018.  She was helping a friend pack for a move when a sudden cardiac arrhythmia stopped her heart and ended her life.

Margrethe was fierce and funny, passionately opinionated about a myriad of issues and spoke fluent sarcasm. She loved with a big heart and would, and often did, do anything for a friend. For many, she was the wise counselor, the compassionate listener, the comforting shoulder to cry on. She touched lives around the world and her absence will leave a gaping hole in many hearts. Just crossing paths with her enriched your life.  While her life has ended, it remains incomplete.  She still had a million conversations to finish, baseball games to cheer and political contests to analyze.  She blazed through our lives like a brilliant comet and the world is a darker place without her in it.

She was born on September 14, 1955, in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of William E. and Claire Amy Warden. She grew up in Waynesboro, Virginia, graduating for Waynesboro High School and received a BS in sociology from Longwood College (now University).  Following graduation she joined the Waynesboro Department of Social Services.  She later served as a regional ombudsman for the Virginia Department of Corrections, and ran her own business, selling exotic bird food and supplies. At various times later in life she sold shoes at Macys, was a writer and editor and performed clerical services for the law office of David Hibbert and Keller Williams offices.

She married Germ Orndorff on November 23, 1996 and moved to Georgia the following year. In Georgia, she expanded her bird collection and began breeding several species, although lories remained her favorites. She served as a board member of the American Federation of Aviculture, writing and editing articles on bird related issues for their publication. Because she could not find a useful resource on lories, she researched, wrote and self-published The Lory Owner’s Survival Guide, which became a manual for lory breeders around the world.

She is survived by her loving husband Germ Orndorff; 3 stepchildren: Tonia Orndorff (Charlie George) of Dardenelle, Arkansas, India Duvall (Brett), and Mandus Orndorff (Elizabeth) both of Russellville, Arkansas, and  6 grandchildren.  She is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law Nancy Warden and Jim Ballard of Vienna, Virginia and her beloved nephew and niece, Patrick and Jennifer Ballard, also of Vienna.

A memorial service will be held at Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematorium, 4400 South Lee Street, Buford, Georgia on Saturday, June 30 at 1:00 p.m.  A memorial service will also be held in Waynesboro, Virginia at a time to be announced later.  In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society at my.seashepherd.org to end whale hunts and dolphin captivity, or to an animal shelter or rescue service of your choice.

To express condolences, please sign our online guest book at www.flaniganfuneralhome.com.  Arrangements By: Junior E. Flanigan of Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford, GA (770) 932-1133.