Goldman, Marvin Israel, quietly passed away Saturday, August 3, 2013 at the age of 88 at his home in Coral Gables from a long time illness of Parkinson's Disease. Marvin improved the lives of many, many people in the local, state and national community through his business and community involvements.
Marvin was born in Cleveland Ohio in 1924 to Samuel and Dena Goldman. As a young man, Marvin enlisted in the US Army as a paratrooper right after Pearl Harbor. He volunteered for and served in the 101st Airborne Division in Europe where he was wounded in combat and earned a Purple Heart. Returning from the Army, Marvin joined his father Sam, and they built their company, Gulf Wholesale Drug Company, to be the largest independent wholesale drug company in Florida, and the Caribbean, and one of the largest in the country.
Marvin was devoted to helping build independent drug stores throughout the state and helped dozens of young students enter a university and become pharmacists. He served on the boards of the Schools of Pharmacy at the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern University, as well as, the Dade and Broward County Pharmacy Associations. At Nova he spearheaded the successful effort to build a working pharmacy on the campus for students to work in.
He worked tirelessly for Jewish and Israeli causes on both a local, national, and international level. He was a committed fund raiser for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation where he was awarded one of the first three Lifetime Achievement Awards for all his efforts. He also helped found the original Florida Israel Chamber of Commerce and worked tirelessly to promote trade with Israeli companies.
He was a passionate boater and gardener. He helped to found the Medicinal Botanical Gardens at the School of Pharmacy at Nova Southeastern University.
Throughout all his work and achievements he never sought recognition and remained a modest, unsung hero in all he did.
Above all else he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by Carol his wife of over 60 years, his children Howard (Barbara), Marjorie (Michael Steffens), and Andrea (David Mayper), sister Elenore (Arnold Simon). Grandchildren are: Zachary, Aaron, Stephen, Robert and Samuel.
Funeral Services will be held at Temple Judea of Coral Gables, 5500 Granada Blvd. on Monday, August 5th at 11:30 a.m. with the internment following at 1:00 p.m., Graceland Cemetery, 4420 SW 8th St. Miami FL 33134
Arrangements under the direction of Lakeside Memorial Park Funeral Home, 10301 NW 25th Street, Miami, FL 33172 305 592 0690 www.LakesideMPFuneralHome.com.
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