Kenneth Leo Marvin might have been embarrassed with all of the hoopla surrounding Wednesday’s short dedication ceremony held in his honor. The nearly lifelong Gig Harbor resident, businessman, husband, father, grandfather, World War II veteran and prisoner of war represented the ideals Americans picture when they define greatness.
The smell of freshly cut grass was in the air and the brand-new kids play set was fresh and welcoming at the new park, named after the late Kenneth Leo Marvin, a decorated U.S. Marine.
The park, located at 4990 34th Ave. NW in Gig Harbor, gave an air of purpose and honor. It will host youth baseball and soccer games as well as a covered picnic area with tables, plus trails and open space.
Marvin rose to the occasion during WWII as part of what is now referred to as the “Greatest Generation.” A child of the depression, he appreciated the value of hard work and the smaller things that many take for granted.
“To us, he was a champion because he fought for what he believed in,” said Konnie Serka, one of Marvin’s five daughters. “He was our hero because he instilled in us his love, honor and respect for his country.”
Born June 21, 1921, in Havre, Mont., Marvin was the youngest of six children. His family, including two brothers and three sisters, moved to the Glenwood area near Horseshoe Lake when he was 3.
Marvin graduated from Gig Harbor Union High School, where Harbor Ridge Middle School is now located.
After a short summer-long stint in the National Guard — he served in Alaska and worked on railroad projects — Marvin enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.
He was sent first to Hawaii, then to Wake Island in the Pacific prior to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.
Marvin was captured by the Japanese during the December 1941 attacks and spent nearly four years as a prisoner of war in China and Japan, where he remained until he was freed months after the war came to an end.
Marvin had it rough. He spent 12 days aboard a hospital ship that took him to Guam, where he was treated for injuries and malnutrition.
From Guam, he was transferred to San Francisco, then back to the Gig Harbor area, where he met his soon-to-be wife, Fern, at the gas station for which she worked. They married in June 1946.
Marvin’s daughters recalled a story about how their dad borrowed $5 from Fern that was needed for the marriage license. The couple eventually settled in a home that stands today on Murphy Drive NW in Gig Harbor.
Marvin jokingly numbered the five daughters he and Fern had together: Konnie Serka, Becky Iverson, Pam Marvin, Mary Jo Marvin and Cindy Bujacich.
Although the girls are grown and have children and grandchildren of their own, people still refer to them by their father’s assigned number.
“We were all his favorites,” Pam Marvin said.
Marvin owned gas stations during a business career that lasted three decades. After he retired, he continued to work at Hemley’s Septic Tank Cleaning and Rooter Service as a mechanic, and he did some fishing in Alaska with George Ancich.
When he enjoyed his retirement, he would fish, hunt and travel. Marvin spoke at engagements at Fort Lewis, local high schools and at Pierce College on topics ranging from his military career to business.
Marvin’s girls remembered that he once joked with his doctor, asking if he could write a note so he wouldn’t have to get out of his pickup truck to hunt.
“He knew he was slowing down,” Pam Marvin said.
Marvin didn’t talk much about his war experiences. He came home months after the war was over, without a parade.
Marvin died at his home in 2006, but the city park will carry his name and represent others who served their country.
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