RIP Steve. Your commitment to Framingham was unmatched. Framingham will miss you.

I will miss Steve Orr. Steve Orr was great in reflecting over important things, and then getting us to act.

Rest in peace Steve. Thanks for all of your hard work and keeping us informed via the E-lists.

Rest in Peace. No more worries. We will do Framingham proud.. We send our deepest sympathies to his family.

I worked with Steve at Data General, early in his tech career. I remember him as a decent fellow who was obviously intelligent and great to work with. His beard was smaller, but it was a defining characteristic he took great pride in. Good by, Steve.

Steve will be missed by all who call Framingham home. While many of us did not agree with Steve on all issues, there was no denying that he was the stick that stirred the pot when it came to government in Framingham. In one lively conversation I had with Steve years ago, he said he saw his role as keeping our legislative and administrative leaders' collective feet to the fire. He did that with civility, thoughtfulness and a deep dedication to the well-being of the community.

Steve was one of my closest friends and he will be deeply missed. My heart goes out to his widow, Krystine.

Tremendous loss for Framingham!

Steve was my good friend and never failed to make me laugh. Yes, he was eccentric and sometimes a bit unorthodox but he made Framingham government accountable and was not intiimidated or afraid to publically express what others hesitated to do. He accomplished many things for the residents of Framingham, among them, saving the Morrency Woods(located near downtown Framingham) from development and petitioning inspectional services on many issues that affect Framingham neighborhoods. He was super intelligent, humorous and made improving Framingham his ongoing improvement project. He was truly one of a kind!

I didn't know Steve outside of Frambors but had the pleasure of exchanging a few emails with him. He seemed like a nice guy who cared a lot about this town. I always enjoyed how he'd interject, many times humorously, in threads that were going off topic and respected how he managed to keep hot button conversations civilized. You will be missed Steve and your quote from your email signature rings so true - "Time flies like the wind..."

Steve was passionate in trying to shape Framingham Government insofar
as providing information that many of us would not have otherwise heard of.

Also great that he was a stickler in having people sign their posts and
tried to enforce some civility. Was Steve perfect? No, but neither are
anyone of us here. For better or for worse, Steve tried and in many cases,
he succeeded.

Rest in peace and may God watch over the surviving members of the Orr's
family.
- William LaBarge

I want to thank everyone for publishing such wonderful tributes to Steve. Please continue to keep posting.

I have been compiling tributes and thoughts on Steve since Monday night and Patch will have a story on his legacy in Framingham posted later today.

Framingham Patch will post funeral arrangements when ready.
Our condolences to Steve's wife Krystine and Steve's family and friends.

Here's how a lot of Sundays played out at my house. The phone would ring early aftenoonish and Steve would say "I just took Gustav to Hopkinton State Park. Should I stop over?" Now I wish I had been able to say yes every time.

I am so sad and feel such a vacuum that I cannot articulate my feelings other than, of all people, Steve Orr leaves us a legacy that has changed the fabric of what Framingham is today. He could really be a PITA but I sure loved the guy.

I can't say that I really "knew" Steve Orr, but I respected him and listenend to him when he spoke. He was knowledgeable about Town Government, but fair in regard to expressing his views. We exchanged pleasantries when we'd see one another (mostly on the Common during free Summer concerts), and a few times we sought each other out professionally (computer experts still need other consultants to work with or talk to). Steve always will be remembered for Frambors and Framcom (and watch out if you got the two listserves mixed up....but then, they sort of were merged). I will miss Steve, I will miss the man and the living resource he was. My condolences to his wife and family, and other friends and supporters.

Steve graciously welcomed me to Town Meeting as a new precinct 1 member.
Thank you.
My condolences, and healing energy to his wife and family.

We will miss our neighbor and friend and our frequent debates. Steve was always our first and most reliable source of information on all matters related to the town of Framingham and the mysterious regions of cyberspace. Our love to Krystine. We have all lost a dedicated and noble man. Ralph and Corinne Woodward

Steve you have made a difference for many of us in Framingham. I am in shock and you will be missed by so many people. Your work for Framingham didn't go unnoticed that's for sure. My condolences to his wife and family. Rest in peace.

Tammy Donaghey

Whether or not you agreed with Steve's position on issues, I think we can all agree he made Framingham a better place. He will definitely be missed and I only hope someone can fill the hole he has left behind. Our sympathies to his family, he was a great man.

Paul Jasper

As of last night, Frambors came back up.

With Steve suddenly passing on, it reminds us that we just can't take our lives for granted. Even the healthiest of us can just all of a sudden be pass on without notice.

Concerning Steve's politics... Steve and I profusely disagreed on such issues like SMOC, sex offender bylaws, appropriating money for the School Department to buy laptops for teachers to use in the classrooms, etc., at least we did agree to disagree and still be respectful toward one another. I just wish that in the National politics, DEMOCRATS vs REPUBLICANS, we could go back to the days of Tip O'Neil where Democrats and Republicans can socialize with one another in the local pubs after arguing politics in Congress.

I also wish that in the local newspaper comments section, that posters would cease with the incivility... and perhaps cease with the incivility in the name of Steve Orr.

William LaBarge

I got to know Steve thru my husband Hank who had worked with him and became close friends. Steve always seemed to have a sparkle in his eyes and a mischievous grin on his face and he just made me smile/laugh!! He had such a good sense of humor and I just loved hearing what he had to say about a any topic under the sun.

I met Steve through the Metrowest Leadership Academy. Although our politics differed considerably, there was no doubt that this man was dedicated and committed to helping Framingham to become a better place to live and work. He reached out to me now and again on various issues and was always most gracious and engaging. What a loss for our town! I send my sympathies to his family.
Esta Montano

UPDATE: The public is invited to Village Hall Saturday, Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. to pay tribute to Steve.
Click here for more information and more tributes to Steve:
http://framingham.patch.com/articles/orr-connected-neighbors-encouraged-coversation-and-debate

Steve is gone and no one can possibly fill those shoes. Flamboyant, witty, passionate about his community. He never accepted passivity - and egged us all on to take a stand and make a difference. The beard, the bluetooth and the cowboy hat identified him, but in no way captured the man.

Thank you, Steve. Single-handedly you managed to take a very large Town and turn it into a manageable, if messy neighborhood and every one of us is better for it. Thank you for putting action to your words, and for keeping us on our toes. I am thankful to have known you and humbled by the outpouring of genuine shock and dismay at your passing. You made a difference...you made us better...you will be sorely missed.

And, here's Steve's email sign-out, which I can't bear to think I'll never see again - you get his wry humor and passion in a few sentences:

"Time flies like the wind. Fruit flies like a banana. Stranger things have happened but none stranger than this. Does your driver's license say Organ Donor? Black holes are where God divided by zero. Listen to me! We are all individuals! What if this weren't a hypothetical question?
steveo at syslang.net"

I am so saddened by this news. I can't believe we've lost such a good one. Steve, I'll miss you, your great big laugh and your bear hugs. Krystine, if you are reading this- I hope you are okay- please let us know if you need anything.
As Steve always said, time flies like the wind...
Love, Linda Lea Wells

Steve was also an avid skeet shooter. I shot with him off and on Sunday mornings for the last 12-13 years at the maynard rod and gun club. No matter how well or not so well we shot we always enjoyed ourselves. The conversations and debates were always civil and interesting no matter the topic. He brought many guests and friends and we always left smiling

John Mackesy

,....still waiting for my guy to burst thru the door, hug the dogs,... then me. Grabbing his paperwork, off to town hall he would go. All of your good thoughts and prayers help me, day by day, to face my reality with a calmness. Thank You all so very much. Mrs. Krystine Orr- Gustav & Plato too

Clearly the irrepressible kid I knew and liked in grades 8-12 remained un-repressed as an adult. He was what the old-time New Englanders called an "original."