Obituaries

Marvin Chanin January 7, 1928 – January 13, 2021

As an only child growing up in an apartment with his cousins in Chicago, Marvin felt like the luckiest kid in the world. Later he moved to LA with his mother and stepfather, sleeping on a Murphy bed in a small apartment a block from Beverly Hills High School. When he lettered in football, graduated from USC, and started his career at the Wilmington Dry Goods in Delaware, the sky was the limit.

Marvin had a tireless work ethic, infinite ambition, and incredible business instincts. After he was transferred back to LA in the early 60’s, his entrepreneurial spirit took flight. First, he opened Paraphernalia, pioneering fashion on sleepy Rodeo Drive. Followed by a health food store that was ahead of its time. Then came Zeb’s Pants Emporium, and finally he opened Chanin’s, a state-of-the-art fashion jeans store in Westwood, and Champs Active Sportswear. Later he signed some of the first leases in the world premier Beverly Center.

Marvin knew he was truly lucky when he met the love of his life-Dottie Friedman (soon to become Dottie Chanin). They were an inseparable pair. Endless love and devotion. They worked, traveled, and adventured together for 40 plus years. He opened the Hugo Boss store in the Las Vegas Forum Shops and turned it into a hub of activity. He nurtured and maintained friendships around the world. You just couldn’t say NO to Marvin. He treated his business relationships like friends and his friends like family.

With Marvin everything was possible, no wine glass empty, no table without ‘a pizza for the table’. His charisma legendary, his devotion to Dottie and his family endless.

He is survived by his wife (Dottie), his sons Tony (Cathy) and Rick (Tracy), daughters Elizabeth Rubin (Michael) and Tracey Friedman, grandchildren Jake, Gavin, David, Brett, Megan, Alex, Daisy and Max, and his great grandchildren Molly and Josie.

Marvin always said, ‘the harder I work, the luckier I get’ and it was true. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Covid Relief Fund CSMC
Attn. Arthur Ochoa, 8700 Beverly Blvd. Ste 2416, Los Angeles 90048.