Stephen James Orens' Obituary
Steve Orens, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away peacefully after a battle with cancer on January 8, 2025, at the age of 83.
Born on November 24, 1941, to Lincoln Orens and Daisy Zuckerberg, Steve grew up in Island Park, NY, and attended Oceanside High School. He graduated from Hofstra University in 1965 and attended the Washington College of Law at American University, where he met the love of his life, Maxine. They married in 1968 and spent 57 wonderful years together, raising their two sons, David and Mark.
Steve and Maxine settled in Montgomery County, MD, and he spent over 50 years practicing municipal law, first at the Office of the County Attorney and later at several private law firms, including, most recently, McMillan Metro, P.C. He was involved in many professional endeavors, including chairing the State and Local Government Law Section of the Maryland State Bar Association, serving as an administrative hearing examiner, and teaching as an adjunct assistant professor of law at American University. A number of the cases he presented before the Maryland Court of Appeals have become landmark zoning cases in Maryland law. He prided himself on working well with others, including his opponents, and on his close relationships with his colleagues and clients, many of whom became lifelong friends.
Over the years, Steve and Maxine built a close-knit community of dear friends. He spent much of his free time in Bethany Beach, DE, retiring there in 2021. He enjoyed spending time on the beach and poolside with Maxine and friends. He found great joy in having a view of the water or driving around town in one of the many Nissan Z sports cars that he owned over the years. True to his love for all things connected to the water, Steve never met a crustacean he didn’t like to eat, with Maryland crabs and steamer clams being among his favorites. His recipe for clam broth was a well-guarded secret. In his later years, he discovered the joy of traveling, exploring places with Maxine that satisfied his love of history and appreciation for great food.
Steve loved his daughters-in-law, Tamara and Laura, and was an adoring grandfather to Kyle, Hannah, and Noah. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and encouraging their many adventures. He was thrilled to spend afternoons watching them excel at baseball, basketball, and gymnastics. He was looking forward to teaching his grandson Noah how to drive a manual transmission and enjoyed cooking with his granddaughter Hannah, who shared his passion for great food. When his grandson Kyle became a local news reporter, Steve made sure to be in front of the television in time to see him on the 6:00 p.m. broadcast every evening.
Steve will be dearly missed but lovingly remembered by all who knew him. He leaves behind his wife, Maxine Orens; his children, David Orens and Tamara Fisher of Sharon, Massachusetts, and Mark Orens and Laura Tervo of Urbana, Maryland; his grandchildren, Kyle Orens, Hannah Orens, and Noah Orens; his brother, Robert Orens of Ocala, Florida; sister, Jean Kraft of West Orange, New Jersey; and brother Ralph Silberer and sister-in-law Phyllis Fischer.
In accordance with Steve’s wishes, cremation will take place, and private family remembrances will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions in Steve’s name be made to the charity of your choice.
May his memory be a blessing.
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