Condolences
Memories of Marvin. Where do I start. Memories that will never end,
Our families go back quite some time. My mother spoke of Mendel, Marv’s dad, and Cookie Greenblatt, Marv’s aunt, who all grew up in the north end of Robinson Street in Moncton, New Brunswick.
My most vivid and meaningful memories of Marv started when Marv and I lived at the same residence and attended law school at University of New Brunswick together.
Exam time at U.N.B. Law School was an experience. One hundred percent exams and, if you failed, you were out. During our second year, at exam time, my father died. Marv, being a proctor at the residence considered it his duty to locate me and advise of Dad’s passing. Friendship, I suppose, added to his responsibility. But I would not be all that easy to find. I found the endless chatter of law students arguing over the law unsettling to the point that, rather than study at the law school, I would go to the main Harriet Irving library and study in the basement by myself.
Marv and others from the residence went to the law school to find me. I was nowhere to be found. Most would say their duty ended there. Not Marvin! He asked further questions to students and profs. until he put 2 and 2 together. He showed up at the Harriett Irving, sat me down, and advised me if my father’s passing.
It was important that he contact me so that permission be received so that I could delay some exams and return home to attend my dad’s funeral. But it wasn’t so important to Marv such that he would put off his own studying and put at risk his own results at exam time. But that was Marv. This is why it is important to tell this story. It goes to the character of the man. His loyalty. His compassion, His sense of duty.
And if you were Marv’s friend, you were his friend for life. We graduated from law school in 1981. But we continued to stay in contact. He would often return home to see his parents. His continued commitment to his parents was unwavering and nothing short of remarkable. Each time he returned to Moncton, he would look me up. We would have lunch, go out for a beer, take drives and talk. Drives up north, drives through Kent County. His favourite was to go on an excursion of what he called the “crown jewels of Albert County”. Locations that perhaps only he and I know about.
Oh, how I will miss those Sunday evening phone calls. At least once a month. An hour long. All those phone calls and we never solved any of the world’s problems. We found that curious!
But what I can take satisfaction in is that I got to know a very special person. Someone who, at his core, was kind, thoughtful, loyal, and just a really decent person. And I have the privilege of being able to say that he was my friend.
Bob Charman
The world is a far less brilliant place without the mind of Marvin A. Greenblatt. I will miss his guidance, support and friendship. He was a special man and I will remember him fondly. My heart goes out to Pauline and family in dealing with this passing. xo
Thank YOU MARVIN GREENBLATT for being my friend. I will always remember the day we met. You showed me your incredible 45 collection. AHH.. the music! I was impressed! May the angels gather and sing every song you loved. Rest in PEACE Dear Friend. xo Val
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