Obituary for John Paul Marwin

John Paul Marwin, 97 years of age, died in his apartment in assisted living at the Mayflower Community November 12, 2017.  The third of four children born to Swedish-American parents Paul and Anna Rosquist Marwin, John was born July 29, 1920 in Minneapolis, where he lived most of his life and attended school. A graduate of Washburn High School, where he starred in track, John enrolled in 1939 at the University of Minnesota and continued to run track in college. Before graduating from the School of Journalism, John enlisted in the US Army Air Force in 1942, but was honorably discharged in 1943 because of health issues. In December that year in Minneapolis, he married Audrey Lucille Magnuson (1920-2001), whom he had met at the University.

After graduating from the University, John began a career in advertising, working for several Minneapolis firms before moving to Denver where John, Audrey and their two oldest daughters enjoyed a new home in the Cherry Hills subdivision. The family returned to Minneapolis in the 1950s when John accepted a position in advertising and sales promotion at the North Central Office of Prudential Insurance, later rising to become a division manager. In need of more space for their growing family—a third daughter was born in 1958—John and Audrey bought a home near Lake Harriet. John loved to swim, speed skate and ice-sail, and he spent many hours bicycling around the lake with the family dogs. John and Audrey were long-time members of Lake Harriett Baptist Church, and both were active in leadership positions.

After retirement, John and Audrey enjoyed trips to China, Yugoslavia, Finland and England to visit their children, then decided to move to Grinnell in 1996 and join the Mayflower Community. John thrived at the Mayflower, participating in many activities and especially enjoying the lectures, the poetry club, and “Sing for Fun.” He continued his lifelong passion for exercise, riding his bicycle around Grinnell until his early 90s, and then became a regular in the Mayflower Fitness Center and the thera-band exercise class. In his 90s John joined a Mayflower men’s singing ensemble that performed in chapel and Grinnell churches. He remained in good health for years, but began to fail shortly before his 97^th birthday, when he moved into assisted living.

John was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, his sisters Helen Smith and Ann Jonas, and his brother Richard Marwin. He is survived by his three children: Jill (Dan) Kaiser; Nancy Marwin; and MaryBeth Marwin. He is also survived by two grandchildren—Nina (Chad) Pajari and Andrew (Xian Na) Kaiser—and two great-grandchildren—Preston Kaiser and Rowan Pajari. John’s ashes will be interred at Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, and a memorial service will convene at Mayflower’s Carman Center, Saturday, December 2, at 3 PM. In lieu of flowers, gifts in John’s memory may be made either to the Mayflower Human Needs Fund, 616 Broad Street, Grinnell, IA 50112 or to Gideons International, PO Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090-7251.