Merle Alvin Ordal

Merle Alvin Ordal passed away on Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota surrounded by family and friends.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date. A family committal service will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday, March 23, 2019 at Colton Cemetery, Colton, SD

Merle lived a life with love at its core—love of family, nature, animals, sports, and friends. Nothing made him happier than caring for people and everyone he encountered innately understood this.

He grew up near Colton, South Dakota and graduated from Franklin High School. He loved playing basketball in high school and that love of the game continued all of his life. Most recently, he and his best friend Clarence Bos would attend the annual Summit Basketball tournament in Sioux Falls. It didn’t matter who played—he enjoyed cheering them on.

Merle was very proud of his time serving in the United States Navy and Navy Reserve. He often talked about jumping off the ship in the middle of the ocean with his pals and his adventures while stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

He attended South Dakota State University and ultimately graduated from the Humboldt Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He enjoyed telling stories of his time in Minneapolis where he worked in restaurants while attending school.

He married Judy Thompson on October 23, 1965 in Fort Worth, Texas. Their love affair has lasted for 54 years.

Merle had a long career in executive positions in the trucking industry for 38+ years. He also served on the Board of Directors for the National Motor Freight Traffic Association. Merle and Judy also owned and managed two apartment buildings in Hartford, South Dakota, and owned an acreage in rural Hartford. In retirement, he was a volunteer at the Sanford Medical Center and worked part-time at the Pentagon. He never met a stranger…he greeted everyone with a smile and a firm handshake. His work ethic was as strong as his love of family.

He also loved golfing and had a weekly golf group at Willow Run. Some of his greatest joys in life were organizing family events and traveling. Fishing was also a passion of his that he handed down to his grandson, Ben—they didn’t catch many fish, but they enjoyed trying.

Merle is survived by his wife, Judy; daughter, Amber; son, Paul; grandchildren, Briahna and Ben and his siblings, Edward Ordal and Beverly Gutzman. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Marjorie; sister, LaVonne Seeman and his brother, Darrell Ordal.

His legacy of kindness, generosity, authenticity, and love will live on with all who were blessed to know him.