Frank W. Marvin Jr.

Frank William Marvin of Marblehead Neck Massachusetts died Tuesday May 25, 2010. He was 84 years old. He was born on January 7 1926, the eldest son of Frank William and Rosalind Brynes Marvin. Frank was known for his remarkable memory and work ethic, and his deep love of music, especially organ music.

As a young man, Frank attended Brown and Nichols preparatory school and Bowdoin College. He served in the Navy during World War II where he served as postmaster aboard a destroyer. When he returned to civilian life, he worked briefly in Ted Hood’s sail loft, and then worked for Hewlett Packard (HP) for 40 years. At HP he demonstrated his extraordinary work ethic, rising at 3:30am and commuting to Waltham 6 days a week to put in 10 to 12 hour days. He found time to enjoy the many HP outings and was a member of their Quarter Century Club. Frank’s many other interests included cooking recipes, and horticulture information, which he collected all his life.

Frank was an active Unitarian, serving as board secretary at Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead before moving to First Church on Essex St. Salem where he particularly appreciated the music arranged by Paul Medora and the church’s fine organ. He was a connoisseur of the organ. For decades he was an active member of the Methuen Memorial Music Hall and traveled all over New England, Baltimore, and Delaware to hear and appreciate fine organs. He loved classical music, frequented Boston Symphony concerts, and sang in a local barbershop quartet.

Frank loved his home on Marblehead Neck and his family, being particularly close to his mother and his brother John who was killed in an automobile accident in 1980. During the last years of her life his mother lived in Maryland with John’s family; Frank took every possible occasion to visit, filling his suitcases with boxes of Stow-a-way Sweets from Marblehead to share with his Maryland relatives. He enjoyed dinner parties and excursions to Washington, DC.

After the death of his mother and brother, two remarkable people came to his aid. First Phil Brine esq. and later Jim Rodgers CPA, who not only managed his finance, mail, property maintenance, and health care, but also visited every Thursday. He was a good friend. Frank leaves a sister and a brother-in-law, Leora and Bob Johns of Coolin, Idaho and their 3 children Bob, David and Judy Sheffield; a brother, Bradford Marvin of Epping New Hampshire and Marblehead, and his children Bradford and Caroline. Frank leaves also John Marvin’s widow Ann Peters Marvin of Denton, Maryland and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, their daughter and son Katharine Marvin of Austin, Texas and Kim Marvin of Bear Mountain and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire and Denton, Maryland, and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews. Frank attended all the family weddings, christenings, birthday, graduations, anniversaries and funerals he could reach – a welcome guest for all.

Memorial services will beheld at First Church in Salem at 10am Tuesday June 29, 2010. No flowers, but please send contributions to the Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Methuen Massachusetts, or to First Church Essex St., Salem. Brief collation will follow the service in the Cleveland room of the First Church in Salem. Arrangements by the Eustis and Cornell Funeral Home, Marblehead.