Marvin Robert Glickstein

Marvin was born in St. Augustine, Florida on November 20, 1932. He spent part of his early childhood at Marineland of Florida, where his father ran The Dolphin Restaurant, His family later moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he grew up. He graduated from Landon High School and then attended the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD as a Midshipman where he received an Honorable Discharge after an extended illness. He subsequently attended the University of Florida where he met his beloved wife of 56 years, Patricia Clara Landfield, of Montgomery, Alabama. He had his first child, Linda Marie, in Florida while he was working on his Master’s degree, after which he had Cheri Ann and Robert Scott when he was attending the University of Illinois. Marvin received a PhD in mechanical engineering, and began working for United Technologies at the Florida Pratt & Whitney plant as an aeroengineer, a career that spanned four decades. After retirement, Marvin started MRG Technologies, developing next generation software technologies for the Air Force, NASA, and Pratt & Whitney.

Marvin and Patricia designed and built their dream home in North Palm Beach while Marvin continued to design jet engines, specializing in thermodynamics and heat transfer. He was awarded six patent awards from United Technologies. Marvin developed an intense interest in marine fish and invertebrates. He began the challenge of maintaining many saltwater aquariums at home. He and Pat became the founding members of the Marine Aquarium Society of the Palm Beaches. Becoming an avid scuba diver, Marvin also became a renowned conchologist, growing a massive shell collection that was well known throughout the shell collecting community. Being an inventive engineer, Marvin devised a dredging system for his boat that was able to bring up shells from depths 50 to 500 feet. Among those he collected are several species that had never been found before. They are now in the Smithsonian museum and have been named after him.

Marvin was blessed enough to find love a second time after his cherished wife passed away. He moved to South Burlington, Vermont as the partner of Barbara Rippa, originally from Braintree, Massachusetts, and together they shared a love of music, gardening, photography and family. For the last 15 years, Marvin has been a devoted patron of the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and a congregant of Ohavi Zedek Synagogue.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Isador (Irving) and Sylvia Elprin Glickstein; his wife, Patricia Landfield Glickstein; his brother Donald A. Glickstein.

Marvin is survived by his domestic partner, Barbara Frogel Rippa; his daughter Linda Glickstein and grandson Brian Jones; great-grandchildren, Emma and Austin Ben-Haim; his daughter Cheri Rhodes and son-in-law, Randy Rhodes, as well as his granddaughter, Jennifer Rhodes; his son, Robert Glickstein; Barbara’s daughter, Diane Rippa and husband, David Rome, and their sons, Ben Rome and wife, Rachel with children, Layla and Simon and Daniel Rome and wife, Katie; Barbara’s son, Joel Rippa and his wife Lori Rippa.

Marvin was cherished and will be dearly missed by his loving family.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 4:00 pm at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, 188 North Prospect Street, Burlington, VT. Marvin will be interred in Palm Beach Gardens, FL at Star of David Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you honor Marvin’s love of the arts and his synagogue, with a memorial donation either to Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival at https://gmcmf.org or to Ohavi Zedek Synagogue at https://ohavizedek.org.