Stanley Marvin Coren

On January 3, 2026, Stanley Marvin Coren passed quietly in his sleep at the age of 88, following stroke-related health complications. Known to his friends and family as Marvin, he was born on September 21, 1937, in South Philadelphia. Marvin went to Central High School and then enlisted the U.S. Air Force. After his enlistment, he went to Drexel University to study engineering. That led him to NASA where he moved to California with his first wife and his son Rodger (deceased 2005). At NASA, he worked on various programs such as the moon landing and Skylab. Eventually, he divorced and moved back to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania. It was at Penn where he met and married the love of his life, Lucy. Together they started a family and owned a pet shop and two restaurants, the Fireside in Ardmore, and Starvin’ Marvin in Havertown. Starvin’ Marvin, located across the street from the Manoa Shopping Center, became an institution in Havertown and with Haverford High School students. Eventually, Marvin went into computer programming and repair. During their life together, Marvin and Lucy traveled around world- South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa- notably seeing wonders such as the Great Wall of China and the pyramids in Egypt.

Marvin had a big heart and would do anything for his family. He sacrificed a lot to provide for his family. He was known for his love of laughter and for telling jokes; his favorite movie was Blazing Saddles. When he lost his hair, he often wore a visor with fake hair just to get a laugh. Eventually, the stroke robbed him of his speech, his jokes, and his ability to walk, but not of his heart. He often got emotional when people came to visit him toward the end of his life. His final words were “I love you” to Lucy.

Marvin is survived by Lucy, his wife of 56 years; two sons Steve and Derek; their wives Tina and Irene; and two granddaughters, Raquel and Kaela. He was very proud of his sons and granddaughters and bragged about them quite often to anyone who would listen. He lived a full life.

Services are Private.

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