Russell E. Orr II, born June 30th, 1940 in Los Angeles CA, passed away on Thursday, December 7th, 2017 in his Lake Forest home.Russ was a beloved husband, married to his wife Mary for over 50 years.He is survived by his son, Russell E. Orr III, daughter Kymberly D. Orr & granddaughter Meryn Rentfro.

Russ had a passion for food, wine, architecture, design and jazz.He graduated from the The Art Center College of Design in 1963 and took his passion for design to Detroit working for General Motors right out of school.He joined GM Motors Styling division working on the interiors of brands like Cadillac & Oldsmobile.

He would share stories about enduring the Detroit winter in a small apartment that used to be a stable house and devoting himself to developing beautiful, hand-drawn renderings of modern car interiors which he displayed proudly.

Returning to California to marry his true love Mary, he later started his own design firm with his brother-in-law and best friend, Chuck Ortega.Ortega Orr & Associates allowed him to expand his repertoire, developing designs for brands such as Mattel/Hot Wheels.

After many all-nighters and work travel that took him around the world and away from his family, he decided to start his own company, R. Orr & Associates & work from home.Whether driving his son & his friends to Trestles to surf or cheering Kym on at her volleyball games, he always made time for his family.

An avid wine connoisseur, he loved great wine and always knew what wine to bring to a dinner party.His daughter followed in his footsteps, becoming a Sommelier & also attending The Art Center College of design.Both his son & daughter graduated from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, with his son also receiving and MBA, influenced by his Dad's passion for business.Russ loved cheering for USC & never missed a Trojan Football game.Fight On!

Russ struggled with heart issues for a majority of his life, but never let that keep him down.He followed doctor's instructions to a T to ensure he could be with his family for as long as possible.He was the true definition of a fighter, who prioritized his family above all else.

Russ had a way of making his passions your passions and changing the way you saw the world.From explaining to others why a great St. Clement Orropas should be appreciated because of its complex & bold flavor or sharing the history of design by teaching us about an Eames or Barcelona chair's superior design.From trips to Napa & celebrating his 50th Wedding Anniversary in Santa Barbara's wine country in this past June, he made every event special by passing on his knowledge and appreciation for the finer things in life.His joyful personality, charisma and story-telling inspired you to look at your surroundings in a new light.

He will be greatly missed & inspired by his good friend, Shelia, we hold on to the knowledge:
Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near
Still loved, still missed and very dear



Please join us in remembering Russell. Through this site, we invite you to share your thoughts and fond memories with our family.