Donald Orenbuch
Donald Irwin Orenbuch, 87, died Friday, May 7th at his home in Sandy Springs, GA. Don is survived by his beautiful wife of 55 years, Billie Lee, his son, Tim Orenbuch, and his daughter, Evelyn Orenbuch. Don will be laid to rest at the Baker Street cemetery in Boston, reunited with his sister, brothers, and parents.
Don grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, MA, graduating from Boston Latin High School in 1952. He graduated from Harvard in 1956, with a degree in Chemistry and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1960. For the majority of his life, Don lived in Gladwyne and later, Bala Cynwyd, both in suburban Philadelphia, PA. Don and Billie moved to the Atlanta area in early October, 2020 to be near their daughter and son-in-law.
Don worked at ARCO Chemical Corporation for 15 years, finishing his career as Manager of Strategic Planning. After retiring from ARCO, he began his second career as a small business owner, running a Partyland Store in Wayne, PA for nearly 30 years.He helped many people create meaningful celebrations with just the right advice, from balloons to decorations.
This business fit his personality perfectly, as laughter was important to Don. He was quick with a joke and wasn’t shy to tell them to a customer, stranger, soon-to-be friend, or to his family – repeatedly.
The son of Polish immigrants, he started mapping his family tree well before there were internet resources, writing hand written letters to obtain birth certificates from small villages in Poland. This led him to become active in the Philadelphia Jewish Genealogical Society and enjoyed teaching about the Jewish American immigrant history.
A lifelong learner, Don took a variety of classes, most at the Main Line School Night, including one called “Great Discussions,” which turned into a weekly conversation with a special group of friends lasting nearly 15 years. In his 60s, he studied Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, and reached the level of Master. His creations were often presented at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
He learned to play the mandolin as a young man and loved to sing. No family car ride was complete without lots of folk songs, which he knew by heart, such as a full throated rendition of “My father was the keeper of the Eddystone light.” He often attended the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and took great joy in participating in a monthly sing-along on Sunday afternoons with friends.
Don enjoyed travel, having the chance to see Korea, Japan, most of western Europe, Russia, China, Thailand, Bali, Tibet, Canada, Peru, and Israel. He enjoyed exploring the culture and getting to know the people of that country. A favorite activity on any trip was to walk into the heart of the city and central market to be a part of the throng.
Throughout his life, Don enjoyed close friends and long term relationships, playing in a standing poker game with the same group of guys, for 20 years.
Don played the game well and left the game smiling, having made some good bets and a few chips up.
Services are private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be can be made in Don’s name to the Dementia Society of America, P.O. Box 600, Doylestown, PA 18901 or the Chron’s and Colitis Foundation National Headquarters, Attn: Financial Operations, 733 Third Ave., Suite 510, New York, NY 10017.