Dr. Galen S. Marburg

Dr. Galen S. Marburg passed away on July 16, 2020. Dr. Marburg was the loving husband of Jan Marburg for 42 years; devoted father of Kristin Marburg and her husband Eric Nelson, Jason Marburg and his wife Lincoln Ferguson, and the late Laura Lin Marburg who passed away on June 18, 1981; cherished grandfather of Rosalind Marburg and step-grandfather of Anna Nelson; and, loving brother of Sandra Marburg and her husband Ross Flewelling.

If you met Galen, you know he loved to talk to people. It was an immediately noticeable trait - whether in a store or a restaurant, on the phone with family and friends, or with patients at his therapy practice. It was his way of connecting to people and understanding them. Once he got to know a person, he particularly enjoyed helping that person figure out what path to be on - whether it was to overcome an immediate issue or to achieve long-term goals. This passion was equally evident at work as it was at home with family and friends. And he loved to see plans come to fruition for those he worked with. While of course the family does not know his patients, we know that he cherished his long-term relationships with many of them, and that he felt an obligation to do his best to help them. Dr. Marburg was proud to be a practicing psychologist for forty years, and never seriously contemplated retiring from his work.

Galen was a life-long lover of education and learning. After graduating from Colby College, he earned a doctorate of education in human development at the University of Maryland. He then worked for a number of years as a professor at St. Mary's College and Frostburg State University. Galen greatly enjoyed teaching, but was less enthusiastic about grading. From his family’s perspective, the most important aspect of teaching at Frostburg State was meeting Jan. After this experience, he decided to return to school to complete a second doctorate in psychology at the University of Oregon, partly inspired by his father’s interest in psychology. He also really loved going to school! To prove the point, after his son Jason received a scholarship that included an obligation to work for the federal government following graduation, Galen repeatedly joked that he would offer to work for the government for the rest of his life if they gave him ten more years of school first.

Galen was an intellectual and a scholar, but he especially came to appreciate the practical applications of his accumulated knowledge. He grew up in an intellectually oriented home filled with books, and with parents who read multiple newspapers each day. Partly because his mother worked at the State Department, their family carefully followed the unfolding Cold War. While Galen followed world events throughout his life, and was concerned about them, he came to prefer focusing most of his energy on those in the community around him. That’s where he felt he could have the biggest impact. So he became something of a practical intellectual, who preferred talking to people and using his knowledge to help them navigate real-life problems.

Galen shared his passion for education and learning with all those he knew. He was proud of his wife for completing her master’s degree in early childhood education, and of his sister, daughter, son, and daughter-in-law for all pursuing advanced degrees. He hung a photo of his mother above his home desk, celebrating her achievement as one of the first women to graduate from the University of Nevada School of Mines in the 1930s. He encouraged many friends and other family members to pursue educational opportunities for the sake of learning, as well as to advance their careers.

Galen was extremely dedicated to his family. He and Jan enjoyed over four decades together, starting with a modest candlelit wedding ceremony in LaVale, Maryland. They lived in Oregon, West Virginia, the Hopi Indian Reservation in Keams Canyon Arizona, and Massachusetts, all before settling in Towson, Maryland in 1986. Galen put his human development degree into practice after having children. Galen was a dedicated parent, who encouraged his children to grow independently and pursue their interests. He loved attending Jason’s baseball games and theatre productions as well as going to Kristin’s dance recitals and horseback riding events. More recently, he enjoyed taking a Mediterranean cruise with them, their spouses, and his step-granddaughter. He genuinely loved children and was ecstatic about the birth of Jason’s daughter in November 2019. No doubt he would have loved to have additional time to get to know her.

During Galen’s childhood in Virginia, his family would often take their Boles Aero Travel Trailer to Shenandoah National Park. Galen continued the tradition with his family, driving the winding but beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway into the park, albeit without the trailer. While he used trekking poles to help with balance later in life, Galen was previously a fast hiker who left others in the dust. Growing up, Jason would run to catch-up to him and then hold his arm with an anchor position, giving others time to catch-up. White Oak Canyon, Old Rag, and Dark Hollow Falls were among his favorite trails. Galen often talked about wanting to live in a cabin on top of a mountain.

Galen enjoyed traveling, especially to visit his children and sister, and to places of personal significance. In particular, Galen enjoyed traveling to Alaska in 2014 to visit the gold mines started by his grandparents, where his mother grew-up. At the Anchorage Museum, Galen, Jan, and Jason saw a painting of Denali which the artist gave to Galen’s grandmother, and his family subsequently donated to the museum. A 1988 visit with Galen’s family and parents to the boarding school his father Fran attended before his family fled Nazi Germany was also particularly meaningful. One of Galen’s most cherished possessions was a painting his grandparents carried when leaving Germany.

Swimming was a life-long hobby he picked-up from his mother Jean. One final and practical piece of advice from Galen - candles should be lit at every meal, even breakfast! He hated harsh light, but loved the soft glow and reflections from candles.

Galen was a spiritual explorer. He was a practicing Quaker for a number of years; had great interest in Buddhism and Taoism; practiced meditation; was heavily influenced by Hopi Indian beliefs; and, enjoyed attending Jan’s United Methodist Church. Galen believed in reincarnation, and believed that what you do in this life influences your next reincarnation. Hopefully he can take his accumulated wisdom with him.

Due to the current circumstances, services will be announced at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be directed in Dr. Marburg’s memory to Shenandoah National Park Association, 3655 US Highway, 211 East, Luray, VA 22835 and/or Anchorage Museum, 625 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99501. Please contact the Shenandoah National Park Association by phone (at 540-999-3582) to arrange for a donation over the phone or via mail. Donations can be made to the Anchorage Museum via their website (anchoragemuseum.org).

The family would like to thank the hard-working individuals at GBMC and Good Samaritan Hospital who helped him throughout his two-month battle with COVID-19. He fought hard with your help!