Marvin W. Carpenter

February 29, 1936 - October 20, 2020

SAN DIEGO — Marvin W. Carpenter was a force of nature. For 84 years, he kept nature at bay, but as it will with all of us, nature did have the last word. Marvin was born in El Centro, CA, into an extended family, including his parents, Madge Lavina Cox Carpenter and Willard Weed Carpenter, and his two older sisters. Being that it was the Depression, the family stuck together and made do. His dad died when he was young, but surrounded by love and family, he thrived.

An intrepid entrepreneur he installed peepholes into the front doors of homes all over San Diego county. He was good at it, a salesman who did well and loved it.

Anyone Marvin met could instantly see he was a smart man who was willing to share his knowledge and opinions. If you were his friend, your life was enriched in ways that were uniquely Marvin, from his passion of singing and writing ballads in Spanish to the best way to accomplish a goal in business. He’d been around, he’d say, so listening to him was a smart thing to do.

The Army got good use of him for a few years in the early 1960s, where Marvin learned about leadership and responsibility. These qualities guided him as he stayed active in the civic life of his communities, both in Imperial Valley and in San Ysidro.

For many years, he was active in a Rotary club he founded with his good friend, Fritz, and in the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce.

Never married, Marvin’s life was full of people. The dedicated staff at his business appreciated his energy and wherewithal. His fellow music students enjoyed his ballads as much as he enjoyed singing them. He was always ready to help a person who needed support, often generous with what he had, especially when he saw potential in that person.

Marvin leaves behind a lot of kin from many branches of the family. He lost his oldest sister, Vivian Helen Lorensen, in 2002, and when his other sister, Mary Catherine Grant, died last year, he became the last of his generation. He held that title proudly.

As a final tribute to Marvin, we wish for you to know that COVID-19 is real. It took his life in just 15 days. If he could eulogize himself, he would want you to know that it should be taken seriously.

He will be interred at Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro.

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