A tribute to my friend Marvin

First thing first, Marvin was a friend of my stepdad and he was about as cool as they come, he was an engineer for Aerojet on the Polaris Missile, and when engineering was hit by an economic downturn, he went to law school and became quite a successful attorney (more on this later). I met him when I was 12 years old and I liked him instantly because like my stepdad, he was a big-time car enthusiast with two houses (one for living in, one for storage, and building the ultimate garage) both were full of classic cars. But that’s not what’s important.

What’s important is, Marvin was a man who accomplished a lot and still took it upon himself to help a young lost kid (me). He helped me in two ways, first, he listened to my young man’s ambitions about starting my own car company, and completely seriously said “ok kid, here’s how we do it.” In hindsight, I know that starting my own car company was pretty far fetched but his advice was dead serious all the same and that still means a lot. Second, as an attorney, he’s the one my family (my mom and my stepdad) turned to when my estranged father tried to start a custody battle, and his calm confidence helped me get through a rough time both legally and mentally.

Marvin passed away back in 2012 when I was 16, and that was the first time his faith ever came up, Marvin was the first Jewish person I ever got to know. Every once in a while I find myself thinking about him, and I try to visit his grave when I’m in my hometown. Funny enough, the first time I went to visit (and show him my new car) I was facing a tough time and things got better when I got back. So, here’s to you Marvin, thanks for everything!