Marvin William "Bill" Engelbrecht

Marvin William Engelbrecht died January 11, 2016 in Austin, at the age of 96. Bill was born January 23, 1919, in Houston to Rosa and William Engelbrecht. As a teenager, he worked at the soda fountain at Balfanz Pharmacy. The mentoring of Bob Balfanz would later lead Bill to become a pharmacist. He graduated from John H. Reagan High School in Houston in 1940.

Bill enlisted in the Navy in November 1941. He was assigned to the USS Flusser, a destroyer of the 5th Squadron. The USS Drayton, Lamson, Mahan, and Conyngham were also in this squadron. Ports-of-call included Brisbane, Fiji Islands, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Eniwetok, and Ulithi.

After the war, Bill enrolled in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Texas. His 1933 Chevy coupe was a familiar sight on campus. He also met Jane Fremon, from St. Louis. They married in 1948, in Houston. In 1955, the family moved into a new house in Windsor Park.

In 1958, Bill opened the Apothecary Shop on Cameron Road. Lois Davis was assistant pharmacist. In 1973 he moved the pharmacy to a store on Highway 290 East, near Bluestein Blvd. Bill retired in 1987.

After retirement, Jane and Bill traveled. They went to Florida, California, Colorado, and New Jersey. Bill raised various plants, including cacti and bur oaks.

Bill was a member of Hyde Park Baptist Church.

Bill was preceded in death by daughter Diane; brothers Leonard, Oswald and Mack; sisters Evelyn Kaiser and Irene Kujawa.

Bill is survived by wife Jane, son John and daughter-in-law Margaret, son James, grandson Joe Engel and his wife Stephanie, granddaughter Janell Thompson and her husband Cory, great-granddaughters Jessie and Reese Thompson.

The family would like to thank the staff of Buckner Villas for their care.

The family will receive friends from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. followed by funeral services at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at Weed-Corley-Fish Chapel, 3125 N. Lamar, conducted by Rev. Dan Gardner. Interment will follow at Memorial Hill Cemetery, 14501 N. IH 35, in Pflugerville.