Marvin L. Luther Obituary (1934 - 2019)

Marvin L. Luther Ph.D., 84, of Normal, passed away at 6:15 p.m. Sunday, February 24, 2019 at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal. A private celebration of Marvin's life will take place at the family property in Eureka in the spring. Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington, is assisting the family with cremation arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the ISU Foundation or to the American Heart Association. He was born November 16, 1934 in Waterloo, Iowa, a son of Glenn C. and Rose Petra Luther. He married Darlene Sommers on December 19, 1959. Surviving are his children, Mark (June) Luther of West Chicago, Joan Luther of Lexington, Matt Luther of Albuquerque, NM and Jean (Mark Finnern) Russell of San Francisco, CA; and six grandchildren, Grant (Molly) Luther, Rosemarie Luther, Jordan Nottoli, Jenelle Nottoli, Emory Russell and Zoe Russell. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Dorothy (Larry) Hjelle and Beverly Stanek. Marvin earned his undergraduate degree at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, his Master's degree at the University of Florida at Gainesville and his Ph.D. at Virginia Tech. He was a professor of physics at Illinois State University from 1966-1988. Marvin was an avid bridge player and made its play a daily practice. During summer breaks, Marvin invested his time in building several homes in the Bloomington-Normal community. He was an outdoor adventurer and a member of the Canoe Club.