Obituaries

Murray Marks lived by many sayings, some could be shared in mixed company, and others couldn’t. His most prominent saying was that a life worth living, was one where you smile each and every day. The source of many smiles and laughter was Murray himself. He ingratiated himself to so many with his warmth, his kindness, and his “bubba -meises” (tall tales).

In truth, Murray Marks was a deeply intelligent man, both because he was well-read and good at reading people. He was a thinker ahead of his time, but he understood more than the words on the page, he understood the human heart. Born in New York City, Murray got his GED at 14 to help care for his ailing mother. He joined the Navy at the onset of World War II. When he returned from the war, he settled in Los Angeles where he met and married the love of his life, Pearl Golden. As he made a life with her, he owned a liquor store, was a liquor salesman, and then was a cappuccino salesman. He did all this while building a family who would come to know him, as his grandson describes, as silly, lovable, strong though never macho or cruel, worldly, impossibly smart, caring, generous, and loving. He lived by all accounts a very ordinary life, but he did all that while being an extraordinary man. Some men build buildings or companies, Murray built relationships, ones he advocated for, ones he loved, and ones he brought great joy to.

His legacy is that a great life, and the best of lives are not those that are lived in the absence of pain or hurt, but are enjoyed in spite of it. Murray is not simply survived by, but will live on through his two children Eileen Marks and Daniel Marks, his six grandchildren, and his three great-grandchildren. The world is better for having had him in it and the sky shines brighter with him in it now.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that you make a donation to the ACLU or the Culver City Senior Center in Murray’s name.