Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,813
Likes: 1,790
From: Northern California
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
I agree with John D and would go with what an experienced framebuilder tells you.
The frame builder will be able to see the frame and see the rider's size (weight) to judge the suitability of a low-cost repair.
My haphazard guess at this point is that the frame has years of use left in it, although creases in the tubing might reasonably be expected to have at least some effect on the ultimate service-life of the frame. Aligning a fork is no big deal when it's steel.
The builder can measure your head tube angle and will know what amount of rake to put into the fork to balance out the front end geometry.