Obituary for Dr. Marvin Weintraub
October 17, 1924 – April 2, 2021
It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Marvin Weintraub in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 2, 2021. Marvin—family patriarch, cherished friend, admired community leader, and world-renowned plant virologist—died of natural causes at the age of 96. He died peacefully after living at the Weinberg Residence for four years. Rita, his beloved wife of 72 years, preceded him in June of 2020.
Marvin, the youngest of two children, was born in Radom, Poland on October 17, 1924. His parents—Abraham and Rachel nee Krygier—brought Marvin and his older brother Jerry to Toronto in 1930. Growing up in the Spadina and College area, Marvin attended Harbord Collegiate and the University of Toronto where he completed a BA in sciences in 1947 and a Ph.D. in plant virology in 1950. While initially planning a career in teaching Latin and Greek, his brother Jerry’s enthusiasm for science inspired him to pursue his life-long passion for plant pathology. Along the academic way in 1948, he married Welland born Rita Enushevsky, a fellow University of Toronto graduate student. Together they raised four children—Laura, Mark, Lisa, and John.
For 40 years, Marvin worked as a research scientist and administrator for the Federal Department of Agriculture. After spending nine years at the St. Catharines laboratory, the family moved to Vancouver as Marvin had been invited to take the position as a research scientist at the newly established Agricultural Research Station on the UBC campus. Over the next 30 years, Marvin became a world leader in plant viruses and the use of the electron microscope. He became Director of the Vancouver Research Station in 1971 and turned it into one of the world’s leading research centres for plant disease attracting scientists from across the globe. On his retirement in 1991, his fellow scientists spoke of the climate of “unbridled free scientific inquiry” which he fostered as Director in their cherished lab.
His work took him, among other places, to the Soviet Union, China, France, and Peru where he helped create agricultural programs to eradicate disease in essential crops. He authored or co-authored over 50 scientific papers and was instrumental in supporting scientific exchanges with Israel and numerous other countries. Among other accomplishments, he was the Chair of the International Agricultural Development Committee and an editor of the discipline’s main academic journal, Virology. Early on in his career he was nominated to the New York Academy of Sciences and was later recognized as one of Canada’s leading nine “creative” scientists. For his service to “Canadian Science” Marvin was awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal.
Marvin was deeply involved in Jewish community affairs and the fight against anti-Semitism and discrimination of all kinds. There were few communal institutions that did not benefit from his leadership. He was President of the Pacific Region of the Canadian Jewish Congress, President of Beth Israel Synagogue and one of the prime founders, together with Rita, of the Isaac Waldman Library. He was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Judaic Studies program at UBC and was a supporter of academic exchange programs with the Hebrew University in Israel for many decades.
Marvin was an exceptional man who left a deep and lasting mark on the lives of countless people. Whether it was in the synagogue, the lab, or the living room, Marvin embraced everyone he met with warmth, humour, stories, wisdom, and a penetrating intelligence. For many, Marvin was a model of how to be in the world; of how to focus on things that mattered. He never turned down a request for help from anyone. Marvin marveled in all of what life offered him and embraced it like few other people. He loved opera, classical music, art, and travel and was himself an excellent pianist and had considerable artistic talent. In all of these activities, Marvin fashioned a life imbued with meaning, a meaning that came from within and spilled out and touched everyone he met.
Even with all of his academic, scientific and communal achievements, Marvin was a dedicated family man who spent countless hours delighting in his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He would drive carpool, relax over lunch and coffee dates, and take an interest in the smallest details of the lives of his loved ones. His close family will deeply miss his focused attention, unyielding support, and unconditional love. Marvin is survived by his sons Mark, John and Robert, their partners and spouses, his cherished grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, and his many loved nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews and cousins.
There were many who cared for Marvin including his physician of many decades, Dr. Jeffrey Bell, and more recently, Dr. Conrad Rusnak. The family deeply appreciates the many caregivers, the longest serving being the devoted Aileen, while Francine provided superb supervisory support. The family expresses sincere thanks to Vanessa Trester and all the staff of the Weinberg Residence, and to Rabbis Infeld and Stein of Beth Israel for the spiritual support they gave Marvin.
Charitable donations may be made in honour of Marvin’s memory to the Isaac Waldman Public Library, Congregation Beth Israel, BC Cancer Foundation – Dani Weintraub Special Fund, Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, Louis Brier Foundation – Weinberg Fund, and Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University.
