Marvin Lafazan

Marvin Lafazan was born on March 9, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in the close-knit neighborhood of Bensonhurst by his beloved parents, Esther and Irving Lafazan, alongside his older brother, Sol. He fondly remembered his childhood spent playing stickball, street hockey, baseball, and stoop ball with neighborhood friends.

On March 16, 1946, Marvin celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at the JCC on Bay Parkway. He graduated from high school in 1951 and soon began working in his father’s dressmaking factory as a patternmaker and sewing machine operator. In 1953, Marvin was drafted into the Korean War, where he honorably served his country before returning home to continue his education. He earned a degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1956 and later attended NYU.

Marvin’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found a women’s sportswear company with his brother Sol, where he was it’s fashion designer—blending creativity, craftsmanship, and vision.

In 1968, while living in Greenwich Village, Marvin met the love of his life, Meryl. They fell in love, married on September 7, 1968, and began their life together in Rego Park, Queens. In 1971, they moved to Freehold Township, where they raised their sons, Adam and Ryan, in a warm and loving home.

A devoted brother, husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, uncle, and friend, Marvin was deeply loved by all who knew him. He was admired for his warmth, wisdom, and special brand of humor.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Meryl; his brother, Sol; his sisters-in-law, Shelly and Martha, his brother-in-law, Leslie; his sons, Adam and Ryan; his daughters-in-law, Jennifer and Bonnie; his adored grandchildren—Ethan and Gabriel, children of Adam and Jennifer, and Aidan and Evan, children of Ryan and Bonnie, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels, 44 Wilson Avenue, Manalapan, New Jersey 07726, followed by interment at Beth Israel Cemetery, 1098 Woodbridge Center Drive, at 12:15 PM.

Shiva will be observed at Ryan and Bonnie’s home on Wednesday after the cemetery, from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Marvin’s memory may be made to Lunch Break in Red Bank NJ, the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund at Congregation Beth Ohr (P. O. Box 206, Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857.), or a charity of your choice.

We love you, Marvin.