Arnold was born August 1st, 1931 in South Philadelphia to William and Mary Marcus. At an early age he developed a love for airplanes, classical music and opera. Some of you might be wondering when and why he began eating the way he did. He began eating this way around age 18. The reason is simple, as a child he ate a standard diet and was always sick…always. It was his uncle Albert who introduced him to a different way of eating. He adopted it, got well and never looked back. Although he played team sports, he preferred body building and gymnastics.

During the Korean War he enlisted and spent 4 years in the Air Force. It was in the military where he began his love for motorcycles and road a Harley until he was 80. In addition, at one point he was stationed at McCoy Air Force base which is now the Orlando International Airport. It was during this time he fell in love with the weather here in Florida and hoped that someday he could live here. Upon returning home to Philadelphia, he went to Temple University, and earned an associate’s degree as a draftsman.

In 1960 he purchased his first Corvette, first of about 20, and he met a woman, Sandra, that would become his wife and my mom. They were married in October of 1962. Interesting fact…. While the world was holding its breath during the Cuban Missile Crisis, my parents were on their honeymoon. Where? On Miami Beach of course where the story is that they had no idea what was going on in the world. Before I was born, my would-be parents lived in Philadelphia, Cocoa Beach and on Long Island. They would welcome me into the world on 3/13/67.

While on Long Island, my dad worked at Grumman, now Northrop Grumman, as a designer on the F14 Tomcat. After that program ended, we moved to Cocoa Beach where I learned to walk as my dad worked as a designer on the lunar module. Eventually in 1971 our family made it back to Philadelphia and we bought the house where I grew up. My parents divorced when I was 5 and my dad ended up back at an apartment complex where he lived prior to getting married. Him and I would see one another each Saturday. It is at this apartment complex, Lynnewood Gardens, where he met his second wife, my step-mother Barbara.

My dad and Barbara moved to Orlando in 1979. At that time, he worked at Martin Marietta, now Lockheed Martin, where he worked as a designer on test equipment for missiles that were fired from helicopters. My dad and Barbara were married in 1981. In 1989 he was taken away from the drawing board and, in his words, put into a zombie room where it’s cold, dark and it takes me 20 minutes to tell a computer how to draw a line that would typically take me a few seconds. He became frustrated to the point where at age 58 he retired. He would spend the next nearly 30 years in perfect health enjoying himself with his hobbies including building large scale warbird model airplanes. Unlike today, where the planes are almost completely built, he would spend approximately 6 months building each plane. He built these planes in a non-climate-controlled garage on a small table.

Some may know him as a very good pilot. I also know him as the best model airplane repair person ever. I can remember him showing me airplanes, that he crashed, that were literally in small pieces and sure enough he would get it flying again. He ended up on at least 2 magazine covers for his planes and won a trophy at the Joe Nall fly in. I may be a bit biased, but I do not remember other pilots flying their expensive warbirds like he flew his. In 2003 he became a grandfather to my daughter Kaylee.

In 2004, I took him to the Udvar Hazy Air & Space Museum. He was like a kid in a candy store. In his later years 87 or so, he eventually stopped flying his airplanes and began to watch tv which up until this point he disliked. His favorite tv show was Hogan’s Heroes. As we all know, father time never loses which is why we are all gathered here today. So, for one last time, dad, you are cleared for take-off.

Mr. Marcus is survived by his loving wife of 43 years; Barbara Marcus of Orlando, Florida; devoted son; Wayne (Rebecca) Marcus of Bradenton, Florida and his beloved granddaughter, Kaylee Marcus of Bradenton, Florida.

Graveside Service for Mr. Marcus will be held Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery (5525 US-1, Mims, FL 32754) with Rabbi Arnold Siegel of Jewish Family Services officiating. May he rest in peace and may his memory always be a blessing.

Service entrusted to Bath Shalom Memorial Chapel, 933 Lee Road, Suite 101, Orlando, Florida 407-599-1180.