Marvin Roger Platten

On Thursday, December 17, 2020, Dr. Marvin (Buzz) Roger Platten passed away at the age of 93 in Lubbock, Texas. He was married to Marion Caroline Middlesteadt for 69 years. As Husband, Father, Artist, Educator, Writer and Veteran, his life was full of love and faith.

Marvin was born in December of 1926 in St. Paul, Minnesota to Roger Willard and Olga Platten. When he was seventeen, he left home and served in the US Navy in World War II from 1944 to 1946. While at the University of Minnesota, he met the love of his life, Marion, and they were married in September of 1951. Marvin pursued his education by earning his BS Degree in Art and Mathematics in 1952 and a M.Ed. in Art Education in 1956. After many years of teaching art, having adventures and traveling with his family to Puerto Rico and Japan, he moved to Lubbock, Texas where in 1976 he earned a Ph.D. in Fine Arts at Texas Tech University. Marvin’s work in the field of art and education earned him many accolades including the Amoco Outstanding Teaching Award and he served as president of the Texas Art Education Association. One of Marvin’s passions was Japanese calligraphy and Sumie painting for which he was awarded rank Two by the Japanese Society of Calligraphers (Diadoshogei), Kaisho Division, Tokyo, Japan.

Marvin was Associate Professor in the College of Education at Texas Tech University until his retirement in 1993 but taught in the College of Education until 1997. During his tenure at TTU he served on many Faculty associations and Boards furthering his desire to create new and innovative educational opportunities. He originated a new interdisciplinary aesthetic education program called “South Plains Aesthetic and Creativity Education” (S.P.A.C.E.) whose vision was to effectively teach the arts to elementary school pupils.

Travel always pulled at his love of learning art and history. With his wife Marion, they made several journeys to many countries in Europe, including Norway where he was the Guest of Honor and Speaker at the Norwegian-American Immigration Festival in Stavanger, Norway. Marvin was proud of his Norwegian roots and his ancestors were the first to immigrate to the US onboard the sloop Restauration (Norse Mayflower).

Marvin’s faith in God carried him throughout his life and he never shied away from serving the Lutheran Church. His love of family and home was always in his heart and he was fondly called “Grandpa Buck” by his grandchildren.

Survivors include: Marvin’s wife, Marion; daughter Andrea and her husband Lonnie Haynes of Destin, Florida; son Steven and his wife Mary Catherine Hastert of Lubbock; daughter Kathryn Combes of Nakuru, Kenya; and son Charles of Bremerton, Washington. He has seven grandchildren: Rachael (Platten) Vega and her husband Thomas; Kimsey Platten and his wife Melissa; Alex Platten; Jonathan Haynes and his wife Maribeth; Kristine ((Haynes) Rodriguez and her husband Valentine VI; Matthew Haynes and his wife Debra; and Samuel Haynes. He counted four great-grandchildren in his legacy.

The family suggests memorials to Historic Redeemer Lutheran Church of Lubbock, The Neighborhood House of the Lutheran Social Services of the South, or to the College of Education, Texas Tech University.

The family has scheduled a memorial service for Marvin R. Platten to be conducted at Historic Redeemer Lutheran Church of Lubbock on Tuesday December 29th at 2pm. Due to Covid restrictions, attendance will be limited to family, close friends and Redeemer parishioners but will be streamed from the church's public Facebook Live page. A public celebration of Marvin's life will be conducted at a later date.