Marvin Dean Barrows

Marvin Dean Barrows, 88, passed away peacefully in his Northern Michigan home on November 20th, 2019. He was a life-long Lansing resident, born June 23, 1931 to Clarence and Lilah Barrows at the onset of the Great Depression.

Marvin was a patriot and a union man. Deployed in Japan as an airplane mechanic, he served in the Air Force from 1951 to 1955. Shortly after returning to the United States, Marvin married Phyllis Jean Balog, the love of his life and his partner of 63 years. He dedicated four decades to the General Motors assembly line, dutifully putting in as much overtime as he could to provide for his family. His love of classic cars persisted until his last day.

Marvin was a gentle, kind, and giving soul––spending every spare moment in service to others. He delivered for Meals on Wheels, mowed neighbors’ lawns, and shoveled snow for friends. He faithfully delivered his mother-in-law to her thrice weekly dialysis appointments until her death, and he chauffeured his two children and their friends to the skating rink, ski slope, and sledding hill so that they could have a better childhood than he. Never once did friends or family hear a complaint pass his lips.

Those he leaves behind will remember his lovable quirks, products of his thrifty childhood that led him to detest waste, value work, and find simple pleasure in the outdoors, good food, and family. He was a Michigander through and through, escaping to the quiet woods just south of the bridge any chance he could. His connection to the natural world around him sometimes raised eyebrows, most conspicuously by the twenty-three bird houses hanging from a single tree in his front yard.

Marvin left this world better than he found it, his family happier and more prosperous because of his love and sacrifice. Marvin was predeceased by his parents; his brother, Bruce Barrows and his sister-in-law, Marilyn Barrows. Surviving to cherish his memory are his beloved wife, Phyllis; children; Douglas (Linda) Barrows, Debbie (Marty) Seger; grandchildren, Mitchell Barrows and Kayla Barrows; sister, Jane (Ken) Bearse.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 900 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing with committal service at Deepdale Cemetery immediately following. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.