This virtual page is in celebration of my father, a dear and wonderful man who loved many things throughout his life -- his family, his children, his garden, his friends, and his family home. He was particularly proud that he graduated from Olean High School in 1949 and attended every reunion he could. Dad was a veteran of the Korean War, serving with the U.S. Navy on the USS Rendova. When he returned back to Olean, he worked at Dresser-Clark until his retirement in August 1989. He was a life member of the Pulaski Club and a member of the Charles Harbel Post #892 American Legion in Allegany, NY. His mother, Helen V. Subjeck Marcus, died in 1976, and his father, John J. Marcus, died in 1993. He had seven children, eleven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, two sisters who predeceased him, and several nieces and nephews. As a Roman Catholic, Don was a member of St. John's Church in Olean. He was a recovered alcoholic, remaining sober more than 20 years. He loved life to the fullest. He was often heard saying "today is a good day, I got out of bed this morning." He was an avid gardener. Never a year had gone by when he did not plant and attend to his vegetable garden. He had a pet squirrel in his back yard (uncaged) who he would feed and care for every day. He died of mesothelioma, a true tragedy considering how otherwise healthy he had lived the last years of his life.
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Sun Yol, Michelle, and Samantha Marcus
My father loved all his children, all their spouses, all his grandchildren, and all his great-grandchildren. He never treated any one family member different than another (at least not after he was forced into sobriety and eventually got his life back on track). He always spoke lovingly of his "Korean" family, particularly since Sun Yol and Michelle lived in Korean the first decade of their family life. He looked forward to their travel to the U.S.,and was partcularly happy when they relocated to the U.S. in the late 1990s. My father often had many stories about Samantha, particularly her "spitfire" personality. He looked forward to their calls and visits, and shared their many accomplishments with great pride with all his friends.