Lee Hargrave Orton

Lee was born in Willis, Texas, the fourth child and only daughter of Richard Hargrave and Lillian Attaway Hargrave. After graduating Willis High School as valedictorian, Lee attended Sam Houston State University on an academic scholarship where she met her beloved husband Gerald Orton in the spring of 1959. They married July 2, 1959 and were together almost 60 years until his death in 2018. Lee and Gerald moved to San Antonio in 1974 where they remained until moving to Castroville in 2011 to be closer to their grandchildren.

Lee was a devoted wife and mother. An excellent cook, she always made dinner for Gerald and the kids no matter how busy she was. Lee was (literally) her children’s greatest fan -- gladly watching a 5 year old Guy fish for hours, attending Leslie’s band concerts, and cheering football games, half times, baseball games & track meets. Lee had the same devotion to her grandchildren, picking them up from school, driving them to practices and appointments, and caring for them when they were home sick and their parents had to work.

After 16 years as a homemaker and mother, Lee began a 30+ year real estate career starting with Deannie Owens Co. in 1979. Lee specialized in new home sales, representing various builders before representing Prestige Homes exclusively for over a decade. Lee had a way of listening and guiding buyers, imparting her knowledge without imposing her opinions and tastes that made clients love working with her. Her combination of skill and tact won her numerous awards as top producer in San Antonio, but she always sought to improve her skills, earning a Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI) designation in 1996 and her Certified Residential Specialist designation and broker’s license in 1997.

Lee was an excellent friend who had a sly wit. Lee and her realtor friends were notorious pranksters, using birthdays to express their love through embarrassing billboards, strategically deployed livestock, and minor “vandalism” of each other’s homes involving everything from pink flamingos to manure to frozen underwear.

Lee was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald Orton; her parents, Lillian and Richard Hargrave; and her brothers, Jeffery, Reid, and Richard Hargrave. We know Lee is grateful to be reunited with Gerald, but she will be sorely missed by her family and friends, including her daughter and son-in-law, Leslie Haby and Mark Haby, son and daughter-in-law Guy Orton and Kortney Kloppe-Orton, and grandchildren, Meaghan Gilliam, Hannah Davis (Austin Davis), and Connor Haby.

A memorial service will be held at 11am, Wednesday, April 26 at Porter Loring North, with a light lunch reception afterwards. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests gifts be made in Lee’s honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.