Marvin Leroy Borgman

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Marvin Leroy Borgman (Marv), 85, a veteran of the United States Air Force, died peacefully at his home in Prattville, AL on Oct. 2, 2024. He is survived by his wife Kwang Cha (KC) Kim ; two children, son John Borgman of Pensacola, FL and daughter Laura Borgman Pitts of Palm Beach, FL; and one grandchild, Derrick Pendleton Borgman, Springville, TN.

Son of Elmer David Borgman and Geraldine Seibersma, Marv was born and raised in Iowa, and graduated from Orange City High School in Orange City, Iowa. He joined the Air Force in April of 1962, proudly serving his country for 32 years. Marv attained an undergraduate degree in History and Political Science from the University of Nebraska, and master's degree in Education, Administration and Counseling from the University of Southern California.

During his time in the Air Force, Marv and his family were stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea; twice at Misawa Air Base, Japan; Royal Air Force Chicksands, England; Yongsan Army Garrison, South Korea; and multiple locations across the United States including Omaha, NE; Las Vegas, NV; San Antonio, TX; Ames, Iowa.

Marv and KC met through dancing. They attended many military balls, Marv in full dress uniform, KC donning beautiful formal gowns, enjoying their shared passion on the dance floor. While Headquarters Squadron Section Commander in England and Japan, he and KC were known for hosting large holiday celebrations where they welcomed single service members to their home. When stationed at Ames, Iowa, Marv was Assistant Professor of Aerospace Science, teaching American Defense Policy and International Political Relations to Iowa State University seniors. A memorable trip he and KC took during that time was chaperoning a group of ROTC Arnold Air Society members to New Orleans, LA. Marv always made time for his family outside of his military responsibilities, enjoying vacations in foreign countries where they were stationed; chaperoning many school trips; and often venturing off base after dinner to visit local communities.

Marv was an avid lover of technology and electronics. He was quick to adapt to and acquire what KC referred to as his “toys.” He loved music of most all genres and would sing along at home as he played from his collection of hundreds of vinyl albums. Marv was a car guy, proud to drive both a Lotus Elan and a right-hand drive Jaguar during his time in England. Beginning in his youth, he owned a series of motorcycles. He biked across Japan with his buddies and encouraged KC to ride tandem. They traveled from Prattville north to Iowa, Michigan, Niagara Falls, Washington DC and more, packing their belongings into two saddle bags. Marv served as a linguist early in his career and later in life during his retirement became a prolific poster of poetry on his Facebook page, amassing nearly 5,000 friends through his various poets and writers societies, and received several awards for his creative writing.

A family service will be held at the National Cemetery in Montevallo, Alabama where Marv will be interned with full honors.