ROBERT SAMUEL MARMOR

Dear family, friends and neighbors,

 

My beloved husband of 53 1/2 years, Bob Marmor, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the age of 78 after a courageous six-month battle with Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. We fought the good fight together as a family and never thought it would end this soon.

 

Bob was a wonderful husband and an amazing dad, the love of my life, and my best friend. He was a micro-brewer for more than forty years, decades ahead of the current homebrew craze. He was a devoted gardener, an accomplished baker, creative soup maker, and perfectionist home cook. Bob was a good listener who projected a sense of calm and peace. He was a man of integrity who lived his life consistent with his values. Above all else, Bob was kind and thoughtful and was a fantastic role model and teacher for our three sons, Michael, Brian, and Jonathan. 

 

Bob was a reliable and steady hand on the wheel. It is hard to imagine losing the stability and ease he provided our family for so many years. He made the waffles and took out the trash, he paid the bills (always on time) and a thousand other things, many of which we only now realize and appreciate.

 

Bob was born in Westwood, California, a stone's throw from UCLA, where we met and where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1965. He earned his PhD at MIT in Organic Chemistry in 1970. He then pursued a distinguished career in research chemistry, leading him and his family to Greensboro, NC; Kansas City, MO; Princeton, NJ; and Providence, RI, finally retiring in Charlotte, NC. Bob relished the adventure and challenge of new places. Along the way, he used his skill as a research chemist to make the world a better place with a lifetime of contributions to health, safety, and efficiency in pharmaceutical and industrial chemistry.

 

At home, Bob was always busy with hobbies and interests. He built things, he fixed things, he was filled with plans and ideas. He started making wine with his dad in California at age 13. As a boy, his chemistry experiments resulted in colorful fireworks, dramatic model rocket launches, and occasional explosions, both intentional and unintentional. As husband and father, he loved baking bread, muffins and popovers and creating and tweaking (and tweaking!) recipes until they were exactly right, recording each improvement in his notebook. He made fantastic coffee, cod cakes, and matzo ball soup. He was an avid gardener who enjoyed planting trees and growing rows and rows of unusual vegetables.

 

Bob is survived by his loving wife Jan; three sons, Michael (Anna Worlein) and Jonathan (Kristin Olson) of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Brian of Fairbanks, Alaska; and three young grandchildren, Kavi, Ramona, and Forest. Also, sisters Joan Davis of Maui, Hawaii; Nancy Hunter of Alabama; brother Richard of Wisconsin and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by parents Edward Samuel Marmor (1913-2002) and Marguarite Singer Marmor (1923-2014) of San Diego, California.

 

It is my turn now to thank the many people who continue to support us. Our friends, family, and neighbors have been incredible during Bob's illness and eventual transition. Our sons and their families have been fighting this battle alongside us throughout. They have been my rock of stability. And to my dear, wonderful neighbors and classmates, I am endlessly grateful for your words, wishes, and prayers during these difficult months. Your “meal train” allowed me time to care for Bob as best I could and helped keep him well-fed so his body had the strength to fight the cancer.

 

A memorial event celebrating Bob's life will be planned in the future, either on his birthday or a year from his death. He explicitly requested no formal service and that his body be cremated. Donations may be made to WDAV Radio which gave him great pleasure both before and after diagnosis, or to the National Brain Tumor Society — so much research is needed.

 

Sadly, the world has lost an unfailingly kind, thoughtful, and even-tempered person in an age where that has become increasingly rare. He will be missed in many ways, large and small, for the duration of the lives he touched.

 

I invite you to explore the photos on this website and upload your own pictures and stories about Bob to add to the online memorial.

 

With gratitude and love,

 

Jan