Marvin Berger
New London — Marvin Berger passed away March 14. He was born at the Coney Island Hospital Jan. 1, 1926, the son of Abraham and Tamara “Dora” Berger. His parents met as children on the S.S. Ryndam, leaving Tsarist oppression behind for the opportunities of the New World. Several years later, Abe saw Dora on the subway and reintroduced himself. Marvin was the third of their four children.
Marvin often said that growing up in Seagate, Coney Island, during the Great Depression was one of the happiest times and places he could have known. The thrills of the beach, amusement parks, and boardwalk were always close by, and throughout the summer, relatives would visit to beat the heat. Marvin graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School and the City College of New York, where he studied electrical engineering. After the atom bomb fell, Uncle Sam came calling and Marvin was sent to Fort Knox for basic training. He was shocked to see segregated water fountains in Louisville. He was once able to see the Kentucky Derby, and won on a tip from a member of his unit; the experience left him suspicious of horseracing for the rest of his life. He served with the Second Infantry, Second Division at Fort Lewis, Wash., and revisited Fort Lewis in 2016 while en route to Alaska with his daughter.
He joined the Institute of Radio Engineers while in college and was an original member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
After his discharge from the Army, he earned a master’s in electrical engineering from what is now the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He lived in Los Angeles for a time, using the so-called “52/20 club” which enabled him to pay rent, eat out for dinner, and send money home to his family in New York. When paying his rent, he would sometimes chat with his landlady’s husband, Grover Cleveland Alexander. When he returned to the East Coast, he worked in aviation at Grumman, GE, Lockheed Martin, and for the federal government. On one of his cross-country flights, he shook hands with fellow passenger Harry S. Truman, who traveled up and down each row and shook hands with everyone. Marvin was working for the Army Signal Corp at Fort Monmouth when Senator McCarthy conducted his infamous hearings there, and Marvin never forgot the many good Americans who were ruined by McCarthy’s witch hunt.
In 1962 he married Joanne Cooke, a nurse from Boston. On their honeymoon, they bought a Volvo at the factory in Sweden and drove it through Europe to Istanbul, shipping it home with them to the United States. He continued to job-shop in aviation, and his last contract was to review the wiring diagrams for the Lunar Excursion Module. He was allowed to view the LEM in person but not to touch it — it was designed for lunar use and was too frail while on Earth.
In 1967 he and Joanne had the first of their two children, Matthew, and Marvin accepted a job at the Naval Underwater Systems Center (the Sound Lab) in New London. Two years later, they had their second child, Mary-Sarah. Joanne and Marvin divorced in 1979, and Marvin remained in New London. While at the Lab he earned a master’s in public administration from the University of Northern Colorado. After retiring from the Sound Lab in 1987 he traveled frequently with Mary-Sarah, her husband Paul, and their daughter Tatiana. They visited Ireland numerous times, as well as France, England, Turkey, Russia, Alaska, and many Western states. He also saw his son Matt almost every day and Matt’s family, frequently. In addition to travel and dining out he enjoyed reading, old movies, Dixieland jazz and laughter, whether from reading humorists, watching movies, or his own quick wit. He enjoyed “pun”ishing others whenever possible. From his birth until 2017 he enjoyed excellent health and was able to live on his own in his own house until he died. His final years in his home were aided greatly by the VNA of Eastern CT and by his wonderful neighbors.
He is survived by his son Matthew, Matt’s wife Katherine, and their children Sarah, Adam, and Thomas, of Pawcatuck; his daughter Mary-Sarah O’Hanlon, her husband Paul McGrail, and their daughter Tatiana, of Ashby, Mass.; and his cousins, Susan Collender and Eileen Lowenstein, who were as dear to him as his siblings. He was predeceased by his parents; his brothers, George and Irwin; his sister Florence; and his ex-wife Joanne.
Marvin grew up with ice being delivered to his home on a horse drawn wagon, worked on the moon landing and at the Sound Lab during the Cold War, and was always proud of his country, remembering the unimaginable opportunity it provided him, his parents and his siblings. He was looking forward to casting his vote this November. He had many experiences during his long life, and one of his favorites was being a grandfather. He was proud of and devoted to each of his grandchildren and loved them and the time he spent with them.
The burial at New Montefiore Cemetery was private. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family is not receiving visitors at this time. Details about a celebration of his life will be published at a later date. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Friends of Fort Trumbull or to the New London Maritime Society.