Nathan Ordway comes home, loved ones say goodbye

One of Michelle Dreiling’s favorite memories of her brother is from the last time he was home.

Cpl. Nathan Ordway, 21, spent an afternoon with his siblings in their grandparents’ house playing Lego. They built a city, an airplane and a spaceship.

“We were so proud of it,” Dreiling said, describing how they laid the cityscape on the ground and took pictures.

She said Ordway was a kid at heart.

Dreiling, along with other family, friends and teachers shared their memories of Ordway on Saturday evening during a Celebration of Life at Hartman Arena. More than a hundred people attended, not including the hundreds of American Legion Riders who stood outside holding American flags.

A Marine who grew up in Wichita, Ordway died on Aug. 5 after the MV-22 Osprey aircraft he was riding crashed into the sea off the east coast of Australia while trying to land. He was a Wichita Heights High School graduate and joined the Marines soon after. He eventually became a crew chief. His mother, Kathy Ordway, said her son always wanted to protect his family and friends. Becoming a Marine seemed like a natural fit and it gave him a chance to travel the world, his roommate said.

On Saturday, Ordway was described as fearless, generous, funny, committed and a dreamer.

He dreamed of buying land for his entire family to live on. He dreamed of becoming a husband and a father. He dreamed of making sure his loved ones were always safe.

While he was here, they were.

They told short stories of Ordway, like how he convinced a friend “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin was a good song by playing it on repeat for a day. Or how he jammed out to the last Taylor Swift album. They talked about the time he started building a porch in the back of his mom’s house, and how he made the hard day fun.

Dreiling said her brother was a caring man, and the best uncle.

“I wouldn’t be upset if my son grew up to be just like him,” she said, fighting back tears. “I hope he does.”

In between the stories, organizers played some of Ordway’s favorite songs including “Take the World by Storm” by Lukas Graham.

“I wanna see what I haven’t seen, ‘cause I know there’s more.”

“The Nights” by Avicii.

“One day you’ll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember.”

And “Hey Brother” by the same group.

“If the sky comes falling down for you, there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do.”

This story was originally published August 26, 2017 at 8:39 PM with the headline "Nathan Ordway comes home, loved ones say goodbye."