Marvin Fortman's Obituary
FORTMAN, Professor Marvin
88, passed away peacefully May 7, 2019. Survived by his wife of 60 years, Sorale' (Sorkey); son, Brian (Lisa); daughter, Anita; daughter, Debbie; sisters-in-law, Zita, Shirley and Lois; and grandkids, Joshua, Alexandra and Alyssa. Brooklyn born and bred, he was a professional musician (clarinet, sax, flute, bass) before moving to Tucson in 1950 and graduating from UofA with honors while co-owning "Tiny's Circus Drive-In" with his brother and father. The Army band piccolo soloist in the Korean War, he returned to UofA for his law degree and then NYU on a fellowship for a taxation LLM. After practicing law in NYC and Phoenix, he joined the UofA Eller College faculty in the 1960s, practiced in Tucson, and authored "The Legal Aspects of Doing Business in Arizona," retiring in his 70s. An avid tennis player and passionate about Wildcats basketball and volleyball, he often took recruits to tour his beloved UofA and was a fixture at many Final Four tournaments. A lifelong Israel supporter, he was active in many Jewish and social action groups. A 32nd degree Mason, Lodge 4, he was a charter member of Sabbar Shrine. He cherished serving as BPA Student Council adviser at Eller College for 20+ years, being honored as the BPA Outstanding Teaching Professor, and a leadership award is given in his name. In addition to his family and friends, he inspired thousands of students, often receiving notes of thanks later in their lives. BEAR DOWN! Services at 12:30 p.m., Friday, May 10, 2019 at EVERGREEN MORTUARY. Contributions may be made to UA Hillel or Stand With Us.
Published in the Arizona Daily Star on May 8, 2019
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