Steve Orr

steve orrSteve always believed that when he got to be a doctor, he would finally feel “okay." But then, he graduated from medical school and discovered he felt exactly the same: uncomfortable and not good enough.

His father was an alcoholic and Steve swore he never wanted to be like him. But one day, he saw the look in his son’s eyes and realized he had become just like his father. That’s what got him to AA in his home state of Georgia.

Steve was a vital part of the Atlanta Men’s Workshop and the Central Florida Men’s Workshop for many years even after moving to the West Coast. to be closer to his son, Steve, who is also in recovery.

One of his first sponsors in California was Dr. Paul O. (author of “Acceptance Was the Answer” in the Big Book). Steve's recorded talk at the final day of the 2014 Atlanta Men’s Workshop can be heard here.

In both Atlanta and Central Florida, an important contribution to the Men's Workshops was Steve's Saturday night "Sex In Sobriety" sessions, which allowed men to speak frankly about the challenge of intimate relationships when no longer under the influence. Steve's outline for the workshops can be found here.

After completing his higher education at Emory University, Steve served in the U.S. Public Health Service from July 196, to July 1966, where he "demonstrated unwavering commitment and dedication" to his military duties.

In San Diego, one of Steve’s important legacies was re-establishing the local H&I program serving the U.S. military’s SARP unit (Substance Abuse Recovery Program) located at Naval Base Pt. Loma, which had been dormant for many years.

In 2019, he relocated to El Paso with his wife Lynn to be closer to her daughter and family. After a brief (6-month) illness, he entered hospice and passed away peacefully at his home on Feb. 9, 2024 at the age of 85. He celebrated 43 years’ sobriety on Sept. 3, 2023. His full obituary can be viewed here.

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