Nadine Baxter Wright

Nadine Baxter Orr, 94, passed away peacefully on September 10, 2026, in Marietta, Georgia, surrounded by family, including her three daughters, Cheryl Marsh, Elizabeth (Raffie) Samach, and Judy Higgins. She and her twin sister, Kathleen, were born in Spring Place, Georgia, on February 23, 1932, the youngest of Mae Etta Lewis Baxter and James Berry Baxter’s six children. After growing up in Calhoun, GA, she moved to Marietta to work for Lockheed. In Marietta, she met Bill Orr who asked her on a date to attend a Georgia Tech football game. She said “yes” to that date, and they never spent another day apart. They married in 1954. Nadine’s life was not without hardship, but you would never have known it. She will be remembered for her remarkable resilience, her utter lack of cynicism, and her passion for life. Nadine believed in the therapeutic power of a trip to Talbots, a frozen margarita, music, and that there was very little a dose of sunshine or hot bath couldn’t fix. Above all, she believed in love. And Nadine loved and was abundantly loved. She was fortunate to experience three great loves in her lifetime: William Orr, with whom she built a family and raised her daughters; William Wright; and Nuno Rendeiro, all of whom predeceased her. In addition to her three daughters, she leaves behind seven grandchildren: Michael (Jill), David (Izelenn) and Christopher Marsh; Gabriel (Sarah) and Maya Samach; Sam Higgins (Joanna) and Emma (Peyton) Higgins Warley, nine great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom loved her fiercely. Nadine taught by example: to revel in beauty, to meet hardship without bitterness, to find pleasure wherever possible, to forgive and forget, and to choose joy again and again. Her memory will live on through the generations of family who love her and who will carry her love, resilience, and capacity for joy with them always. Nadine will be laid to rest next to her first love, William Niles Orr, in a family graveside service at Kennesaw Memorial Park in Marietta, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity most dear to your heart