Mr Harry Orr

MR William Henry (Harry) Orr, who has died aged 77, was a distinguished architect who never forgot his Downpatrick roots.

Mr Orr was born in Downpatrick, went to Down High School and played cricket for Downpatrick Cricket Club. He loved Downpatrick, particularly the cricket club.

A member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, he studied architecture in Belfast, Edinburgh and Rome. As a consequence of his talent, he won the Royal Institute of British Architects/Royal Society of Ulster Architects Rome Scholarship, the Sir Charles Lanyon Prize for Measured Drawing and an Andrew Grant Travelling Scholarship to Spain from Edinburgh College of Art.

He worked in Edinburgh, London and Belfast before embarking on a project as resident architect for King Idris’s Sports City in Libya. From there he moved to Saudi Arabia, taking time out to complete a Master’s degree at Queen’s University in Belfast.

In 2000 he moved to Thailand to take up a lectureship with the Faculty of Architecture and Design at Chulalongkom University in Bangkok. He used his great graphic skills to record his experience of Thailand in wonderful drawings.

Mr Orr had a great love of music. He became friendly with Terri Hooley, the celebrated ‘godfather’ of Northern Ireland punk, and designed posters and record sleeves for Hooley’s Good Vibrations record label.

One of his musical heroes was Bob Dylan, who he saw in concert at the ABC Cinema in Belfast in 1966.

He attended an Isle of Wight Festival and regretted missing out on the celebrated Woodstock Festival.

Mr Orr was a talented and accomplished cricketer. As well as playing for Downpatrick, in later years he played in Libya and Saudi Arabia.

He also loved running and completed two Belfast Marathons in the 1980s.

Of all his accomplishments, he was proudest of his family, who he adored. He is survived by his wife, Ann, children Leon and Mary, four grandchildren, sisters Irene and Millicent and the wider family circle.

Mr Orr died on November 27 and his funeral was held at Mortlake Crematorium, London, on December 12.