March 5, 1932 – April 30, 2021
After a long and prosperous life, Marvin R. Lane Sr. was called home to be with the Lord Friday, April 30, 2021.
As the last living member of his childhood family, Marvin was born to Edgar Gerald Lane Sr. and Katie Ocie Lane. He had two older brothers and one older sister: Essie Mae Prince, Edgar Raymond Lane and E.G. Lane Jr. They were all born on the family farm, just outside of Quitman Ga. during the depths of “The Great Depression”. Marvin often talked about the many lessons that he learned there and how those lessons stayed with him all of his life. He learned the value of hard work, perseverance and integrity and from that, he gained an abundance of wisdom by staying the course and following through with his own dreams.
After serving in Korea with the United States Army Marvin was awarded three metals: The Bronze Star, The National Defense Metal, and The United Nations Service Metal. He was honorably discharged from the military in 1954.
It was during this year that Marvin made a move to Jacksonville Florida and was offered a position as a deckhand aboard a tugboat, by Merrill-Stevens Shipyard. This was a memory that Marvin often reflected on in a laughing way. This was because when he was offered the position, the only question he had was, “What is a tugboat?” Marvin started out at the bottom and learned the business from the ground-up, and within a few years he had become a licensed tugboat captain for the shipyard company.
Nevertheless, Marvin had an even bigger idea. An idea that he began to build upon. This idea was a dream that Marvin, himself, built into a reality. He worked all day at the shipyard as a tugboat captain while also working on his dream which was the tugboat he built in his own backyard.
Shortly before the completion in the building of his first tugboat, Marvin started his tugboat company and he named it, “Cross State Towing”. It took some time, and continuous work to make his dream a reality. However, his perseverance and focus helped him to accomplish the completion of the building of his first tugboat. He eventually named it “The Mr. Ed”, after his father. Within that same year, Marvin married Rachel Howard on August 27, 1966. This was the beginning of Marvin’s legacy.
Over the next five years, Marvin worked as a tugboat captain at the shipyard and his tugboat was also hired by the shipyard to do side jobs. While also undergoing the building of his company’s second tugboat, “The Rachel”, under the Isaiah Hart Bridge. It was during this time that Marvin and Rachel’s son’s Marvin Jr. /Mark and Marlon came along.
By the year 1972, Marvin and Rachel put their primary focus into their tugboat Company, “Cross State Towing”. Then, the business was located on East Adams Street. Over the years, the legacy that started with one tugboat has grown to a fleet of nine tugboats, all named after family members, and twelve barges, along with several locations located along the St. Johns river, that are used for the business.
Marvin loved going to his family farm in Georgia on the weekends. He loved bringing the family together for their family reunion that was every year up until last year. He loved going deer hunting and buying peaches and oranges to give to his friends when he got back to Jacksonville. Marvin R. Lane Sr. was an extraordinary person, who will always be remembered as a loving family man.
Marvin is survived by his wife of 54 years, Rachel and his sons AKA, MRL2 and MRL3, better known as Marvin Jr./Mark (Niki), and Marlon (Debi), his granddaughter Katie (John), who is pregnant with Marvin’s first Great-grandson (Brantley) due in July.
Many will remember him as a great friend. Many will remember him as a supporting mentor. However, we will all remember him as a true Inspiration.
A Celebration of Life will be held 2pm Thursday May 6, 2021 with 1 hour prior visitation at Hardage-Giddens Riverside Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 7242 Normandy Blvd Jacksonville, Florida 32205. Interment with Military Honors to follow at Riverside Memorial Park. Please leave words of comfort at www.hgriversidefuneralhome.com.
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