John Alfred Oren

ARLINGTON – John A. Oren, age 85, of Arlington, Texas, passed away on January 15, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of warmth, kindness, and his quietly intellectual nature. Known for his dry sense of humor and generous spirit, John’s influence on those around him was impactful and will not be forgotten.
MEMORIALS: John was born on April 9, 1938, in the small rural community of Erick, Oklahoma, to Herbert Oren and Lorene Stone Oren. He was the oldest of eight children in a family of farmers and ranchers. John shouldered a great deal of responsibility in his early years, learning to drive a tractor by age six, and helping his father with many of the daily activities around the ranch.
The family ranch was located near an airport in Altus, and at an early age, John took a real interest in watching the Air Force planes flying overhead. After graduating from high school, John received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University. He graduated in 1961 and took a position at Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, California. While there, John met his roommate’s sister, Elizabeth “Betsy” Drummond, and they were married on September 14, 1963. While in California he also completed his master’s degree from the University of Southern California and developed a career and personal passion for thermodynamics in space vehicles.
In 1964, John took a position with LTV Aerospace, and the newlyweds made a home in Arlington, Texas where they went on to raise their children: Pamela, Cynthia, and Johnny. They also became very active founding members of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.
John worked for LTV, and later Lockheed Martin’s space program – for the next 36 years. The pinnacle of his engineering career came just before his retirement when he was leading the design and construction of the International Space Station’s Heat Rejection System.
During all these years, John was an amazing father and husband, coaching his children’s sports, camping with Johnny’s Boy Scout troop, and volunteering with the St. Vincent Men’s Club. The family would regularly drive up to their ranch in Oklahoma when time permitted and would visit Betsy’s family in Missouri.
They had a busy social life in Arlington, which revolved around family and friends, many from their parish community at St. Vincent’s. He and Betsy loved to dance, enjoying their nights out with friends, and they kept the ranch in Oklahoma for many years where he once watched the Air Force planes as a child. After retirement he found new loves in both genealogies, and in quietly reading poetry, a love that he learned from his grandfather Erick at an early age.
John was ever thoughtful, kind, and generous with others, with a dry sense of humor that would always somehow find surprise in the moment. It is an understatement to say that he will be missed by those who loved him.
John was preceded in death by his daughter JoAnn, parents Herbert and Lorene, sisters Mona and Ellen, and brother Kenneth. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Betsy; three children and their spouses, Pamela (Brian), Cynthia (Craig), and Johnny (Leigh); and five grandchildren, Travis, Madeline, Sophie, Taylor, and Tatum. Brothers Stone, James, Charlie, and sister Barbara also survive him.
He will be missed.
In loving memory of John A. Oren, we honor a life filled with wisdom, kindness and love. The family invites you to share in celebrating his life at the upcoming remembrance services.
REMEMBRANCE SERVICES:
● Visitation and Rosary Service – 6:00 to 6:30 pm (Rosary) and 6:30 to 8:00 pm (Visitation) on Friday, February 2, at Wade Funeral Home, 4140 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington

MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL:
● Mass begins at 10:00 am, Saturday, February 3, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 5819 W. Pleasant Ridge Road, Arlington in the building to the far right of the chapel. (Lunch will be served after the mass)
● Interment to follow at Moore Memorial Gardens, 1219 N Davis Dr, Arlington, TX 76012

Instead of flowers, please send any donations to Meals on Wheels, Inc. of Tarrant County, who provides home-delivered meals, professional case management, and other needed items or services to our homebound, elderly, and disabled clients and enables them to remain living independently in their own homes, surrounded by a lifetime of memories.

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