Orin was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan to a family that emigrated from the United States and pioneered in the district around the turn of the 20th century. He received his primary and secondary education in Regina, Saskatchewan and his Bachelor of Architecture from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba at Winnipeg in 1967.

Orin was licensed to practice architecture and elected as member of the Alberta Association of Architects in 1969, with admission as a member of The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada the same year. His practice focused upon major commercial and institutional projects. In 1973 Orin ceased public practice and established a construction and development firm in Vancouver B.C.

He moved to Toronto in 1982 and since then has acted as consultant and project manager for developments across North America. He was a member of the Public Advisory Group for the Revitalization of Union Station. He has an active interest in model railroading, as well as an extensive collection of Canadian Railway artifacts, drawings, and written material.

Sadly, Orin passed away on October 30th, 2019 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.