Wayne Thomas Orpin of Bedford, MA, formerly of Watertown, MA, passed away on October 28, 2021, surrounded by his children, at the Lahey Hospital in Burlington, MA.  He was 85 years old.

A lifelong resident of Massachusetts, Wayne was born on June 19, 1936, in Boston and spent his first thirteen years on Harriet Avenue in Belmont where he attended the Daniel Butler Elementary school.  Wayne and his family then moved to Bedford where, as a teenager, he helped his father build their home on 1 Evans Ave and later attended Concord Carlisle High School, graduating in 1954.  After graduation, Wayne enlisted in the United States Air Force where he studied radio communication technology at Hanscom AFB in Bedford.  Officially, Wayne traveled to airbases across the country maintaining, repairing and certifying the communications equipment of all manner of USAF aircraft.  But it was his legendary off-the-record tales of his time at Hanscom, including drag racing on the airstrip, flipping Jeeps, and requisitioning DC-3s to make "rum-runs" to Bermuda that had everyone he told in both disbelief and full-on laughter.

After his discharge in 1958, Wayne continued his career in the private sector, becoming an Electronics Engineer and working at several tech firms in and around the Boston area.  Wayne's responsibilities involved designing, testing and implementing many varied technologies from pediatric x-ray equipment to guidance systems for ballistic missiles.

Upon retirement, Wayne had ample time to focus on what he loved most: collecting.  And collect he did!  From electric trains to antique clocks to bicycles, Wayne loved them all and would scour model train shows, want ads and yard sales to continuously expand his collection.  Wayne loved what he loved which often led to collecting multiples of the same item.  This extended to automobiles where, at one time, he owned four examples of the Plymouth Volare, each complete with extra ballast resistors and ignition modules…but rarely a functional spare tire.

Wayne was the father of three: Bill Orpin and his wife Christine of Newbury, MA, Brian Orpin of Raleigh, NC and Jennifer Walker and her husband Brian of Reading, MA.  Wayne was also especially close to his former daughter-in-law, Patricia Orpin of Raleigh, NC.  Wayne was an incredibly proud Grandpa to his four grandchildren, Cooper Orpin, Nathan Orpin, Lindsay Walker and Ellie Walker.  Wayne was predeceased by his father, Thomas Edward Orpin and his mother, Florence Orpin (Irving) of Bedford, MA and his sister, Arlene Orpin of Waltham, MA.

Because the last thing Wayne wanted was, "to have a bunch of people standing around being sad for hours", a private, family-only service will be held where he will be remembered with hearty laughs, great food and vodka martinis (rocks on the side, with olives).