Orket Burnett (Orchid)

Celebrating the Life of Orket Laneice “Orchid” Burnett

April 20, 1965 – August 25, 2026

Some people simply exist in this world. Orket Laneice Burnett, affectionately known as “Orchid,” truly lived.

Born April 20, 1965, in Palo Alto, California, to Harry and Bessie Burnett, Orket was California born and bred. She was beautiful, intelligent, sensitive, incredibly funny, loving, determined, and a diva in every sense of the word. She had a presence that belonged completely to her, and no matter what chapter of life she found herself in, she remained unmistakably Orket.

Her life was not without struggle. Some seasons were much harder than others, but Orket never allowed the difficult parts of her story to become the entirety of who she was. She experienced life fully—the victories, the mistakes, the laughter, the pain, the rebuilding, and the beautiful moments in between. She took pride in the things she worked hard for because she understood exactly what it took to have them.

Orket also understood what it felt like to go through hard times, and that gave her a special heart for people who were down and out. If she had the ability to help, she opened her arms. She didn’t require people to have everything figured out before she could see something worth loving in them. Her heart, her home, her food, her conversation, or simply her presence could become a place of comfort for someone who needed it.

In 1988, Orket moved to Idaho, where her parents, Harry and Bessie Burnett, were residing. That same year, she married Michael Terry, the love of her life. In Idaho, Orket did more than establish a home—she created a village. Some were connected through blood, while others became family through love, loyalty, and simply showing up.

Orket was smart, hardworking, and capable. She worked as an electrician, taking pride in what she accomplished and the things she worked hard to have. She liked her things nice, and she wasn’t ashamed of that. She knew how hard she had worked for what she had.

And make no mistake—Orket was a diva.

No matter what circumstances life placed her in, she remained herself. Yet for all that strength, those closest to her knew there were two things she wanted absolutely nothing to do with: bugs and the dark.

This woman could face circumstances that would break somebody else, but somebody else was absolutely going to have to handle that bug.

That contradiction was part of what made Orket so wonderfully human.

Above everything else, Orket was Mommy.

She was the mother of four children: Johnisha Washington, Maurice Washington, Milisha Norwood, and Melissa Burnett. Early in her journey as a mother, Orket experienced the unimaginable loss of Johnisha and Maurice while they were still little, years before Melissa and Milisha were born. Their lives were brief, but their places in their mother’s heart were permanent. They remained her babies throughout her lifetime.

With Melissa and Milisha, Orket became the mother everybody knew as the cool mom. She was fun, loving, present, and wasn’t unnecessarily strict. She allowed her daughters to think for themselves, have their own opinions, and grow into their own identities.

She just had one very clear distinction: having your own opinion did not give you permission to be disrespectful.

Orket was deeply involved in her daughters’ everyday lives. They spoke multiple times a day, sharing everything from ordinary conversations to life’s biggest moments.

She also had her own names for her girls.

Milisha was her “Mikie,” then her “little Greedy butt,” which eventually became simply “Greedy.” The nickname stuck so completely that Milisha carried it into adulthood. What became part of her identity began simply as a name given to her by Mommy.

Melissa was her “Lil Mama” and “Too.” Melissa looked so much like Orket that she was quite literally her mother’s number two—her little twin. Orket loved hearing Melissa sing and admired how beautifully she could draw.

Greedy carries Mommy in her name. Lil Mama carries Mommy in her reflection.

Orket also loved watching her daughters become mothers themselves and seeing the next generation of her family grow.

Becoming a grandmother gave Orket even more people to love. Her grandchildren—Zayhne Severns, Zakkaih Severns, DeAngela Norwood, Orkeydah Terry Jones, Braxton Harper, Braeson Harper, and Preston James Hardy—held a special place in her heart. She loved her grandbabies deeply and cherished the opportunities she had to spend time with them.

Orket knew how to enjoy the simple things that made life feel good. She loved music. Her taste couldn’t be put into one box—she loved her oldies and her country music, church music, and even rap music, with Keith Washington holding the title of her all-time favorite.

She loved soul food, and saying Orket could cook almost doesn’t do that woman justice. She could put DOWN in a kitchen. She could cook just about anything, and feeding people became another natural extension of the heart she had for others.

She laughed easily and smiled often. It didn’t take much to get Orket laughing, and that humor followed her throughout her life.

Faith was also an important part of Orket’s life. She was a God-fearing woman, raised Christian, whose spiritual journey later led her to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she chose to be baptized.

Orket lived life with strength, humor, resilience, and determination. One lesson she made sure to pass on was simple but powerful:

“Never give up. Never surrender.”

Those weren’t just words. They reflected the way Orket lived. No matter what life placed in front of her, she kept going, and she taught her daughters to do the same.

Orket was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Bessie Burnett; her husband, Michael Terry; her children, Johnisha and Maurice; and her siblings, Claudell Cruze, Ricky Cruze, Shirley Williams, and Kevin Cruze.

She leaves to cherish her memory her daughters, Melissa Burnett and Milisha Norwood; her grandchildren, Zayhne Severns, Zakkaih Severns, DeAngela Norwood, Orkeydah Terry Jones, Braxton Harper, Braeson Harper, and Preston James Hardy; her siblings, Arvis Smith, Claude Cruze, and Ludia Burnett; along with her nieces, nephews, extended and chosen family, and friends from all walks of life who showed up for her when needed most.

On August 25, 2026, Orket’s earthly journey came to an end at 61 years old.

But her family is left with so much more than the day she departed.

They have her laugh.

They have stories that will make them cry and others that will make them laugh until their stomachs hurt.

They have the food they’ll try to recreate and inevitably say doesn’t taste quite like hers.

They have old songs that will suddenly sound different.

They have Greedy’s name.

They have Lil Mama’s reflection.

They have her grandchildren carrying her story forward into another generation.

They have the lessons she taught them. And whenever life becomes difficult, they will still hear her reminding them:

“Never give up. Never surrender.”

And most importantly, they have the words Orket made sure her daughters heard throughout their lives:

“I love you to infinity and beyond.”

Maybe those words mean more now than anyone ever imagined they would.

Because Orket’s life had a beginning and an ending.

Her love does not.

So this time, the words are ours to say back to her:

We love you to infinity and beyond.