George (H.) Marlow

George Henry Marlow died on Saturday, (October 21, 2006) in his home town of Manchester. He was born on July 15, 1914, son of the late Nathan and Lena Marlow, Russian-Jewish immigrants who settled in Manchester in 1910. The following year the Marlows opened a five-and-dime at Brainard Place and Main Street that eventually became known as Marlow’s. In 1924 Marlow’s moved to the site of the former Orford Hotel at 867 Main Street, where it remained until its last day of operations on August 24, 2002. George Marlow worked part time in Marlow’s while growing up. He graduated from Manchester High School in 1932 and received a bachelor”s degree from Harvard College in 1936. He earned a JD degree from the University of Connecticut in 1941. During World War II, Marlow was a tank commander in the Third Armed Division, 32nd Armored Regiment, and a battlefield prosecutor and historian for his unit, as well as using his skills as a retailer to procure supplies for U.S. troops. Marlow emerged from the war as a first lieutenant with the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and all the battle stars of the European Theater, as well as a lifelong hatred of war. After the war, Marlow returned to Manchester and in 1945 married the former Wilma Dubin of West Hartford. The couple settled in Manchester, where they raised their son Bruce and daughter Joan, born in 1946 and 1948, and Marlow joined his parents at Marlow’s Department Store. He doubled the size of the original store and created the slogan “Marlow’s for Everything.” After his parents died in the 1970”s, he became the sole owner of Marlow’s. Among the more than 65,000 items stocked by Marlow’s in its heyday were Mason jar rings, Venetian blind cleaners, hairnets, and four kinds of fly swatters, as well as furniture, luggage, office supplies, shoes and house wares. Priding himself on quality of service, George Marlow could fix every product he carried –– from pressure cookers to typewriters. He continued to work well into his eighties. In addition to his contributions as a retailer, Marlow served Manchester in many other ways. For over 30 years he was a Trustee of Manchester Memorial Hospital, and with his second wife, Lillian Bayer whom he married in 1982, endowed the George and Lillian Marlow Fund to help maintain the hospital. He also helped to establish the Community Child Guidance Clinic and United Way of Greater Hartford, and assisted with the restoration of historic Cheney Hall in Manchester. He served as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals and a director emeritus of the Savings Bank of Manchester. A founding member of Temple Beth Sholom, he served as vice president for many years. Marlow was a generous contributor to many Jewish causes and to the State of Israel. In memory of his first wife, Wilma, he made contributions to Manchester Mary Cheney Library and to the Billie Marlow Women’s Golf Tournament at Ellington Country Club, and established a scholarship fund in her name at the University Of Connecticut Graduate School Of Social Work where she had taught. Marlow is survived by his wife Lillian Bayer Marlow, his son Bruce, his daughter Joan, his granddaughter Katherine Golan, and his stepson Aaron and his wife Laurie Bayer, their children Rose, Abraham and Philip Bayer, his stepdaughter, Linda Bayer and her children, Lev Berenbaum and Ilana and Tal Grinblat, and their son Jeremy. The family wishes to express its gratitude to the people at Manchester Manor for the loving care George received during his stay there. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, October 24, at 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary of Temple Beth Sholom, 400 East Middle Turnpike, Manchester, with Rabbi Richard Plavin officiating. Interment will follow in the Temple Beth Sholom Memorial Park, Manchester. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bayer-Marlow Fund at Temple Beth Sholom. Arrangements entrusted to Weinstein Mortuary, Hartford. For further information, directions, or to share memories of Mr. Marlow with his family, please visit online at www.weinsteinmortuary.com.