Jack Marvel

Jack Marvel, 90, of Rodney, passed away Wednesday, July 27, 2016, at Spectrum Hospital in Big Rapids. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 29, at Riverside Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant with Rabbi Amy Bigman of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of the donors choice. Envelopes will be available at the cemetery or at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home. Jack was born March 3, 1926, in the tiny town of Apsa, in the Carpathian Mountains of Czechoslovakia. His parents were the late Zelic and Esther Moskowitz. He began his life as a sheep herder and later became a tank commander of allied forces in Eastern Europe. He arrived in the United States via Ellis Island, studied the language, embraced the culture and became a U.S. citizen. After moving from New York to California, he met the love of his life, Marilynn Lackney. The couple would marry on June 26, 1952, in Saginaw, MI. While in California, he worked in Hollywood as a stunt rider for 1950s early Western films. Later he was employed by Chet Huntley of Huntley Brinkley Oldsmobile dealership. Marvel worked his way up from porter to becoming an owner of multiple dealerships. While automobile retailing has been his core business, he also had interests in the construction, real estate and baking industries. Throughout his life, his true passion had always been cutting horses, which he had done for nearly 70 years, culminating in his induction as the inaugural member of the cutting horse hall of fame. Jack was very proud of his Jewish heritage and the fact that he was a survivor of the holocaust. Jack is survived by his wife, Marilynn; four children, Denise (Nick) Aho of Rodney, Z. Darrell (Patti) Marvel of Big Rapids, Diane Marvel of Rodney and David (Pam) Marvel of Rodney; five grandchildren, Jacob and Tracy, Colby, and Ginger and Ryan; seven great-grandchildren, Oakley, Noah, Abbey, Marley, MacKenzie, Hunter, and Alaura; two siblings, Fanny Herman of Southfield and Benny (Ida) Moskowitz of Farmington Hills; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and four siblings.