Marvin Kassed, 86

SILVER SPRING, MD. – A burial at Arlington Cemetery was held recently for Col. Marvin William Kassed (ret.), Ph.D., who died suddenly on April 24, 2020, at his home in Silver Spring. Marvin was born in Providence to Frank and Dorothy (Grossman) Kassed on Sept. 4, 1933. He was preceded in death by his son Jeffrey Kassed and his wife Janice (Montanari) Kassed. Marvin was a graduate of Hope High School.

He joined ROTC in college, played saxophone and clarinet in his University of RI jazz band, and later became an active-duty officer in the U.S. Army at Ft. Hood, Texas, with his first wife Elaine (Hendricks) Kassed. Marvin later returned to Providence to manage his parents’ shoe store, The Providence Shoe Box, to raise a family, and he continued his military career in the Army Reserve. He practiced family counseling in New Port Richey, Florida, for many years before moving to Maryland in 2019 to be closer to his daughter, Cheryl. Marvin loved people, reading, nature, discussing current events and going to dinner with Cheryl and her husband Geoff Patton on Thursday nights. He enjoyed Cheryl and Geoff’s dogs Nellie, Zoey, and Leo, and called them his "4-legged grandkids." He gifted his daughter with a love of shoes, learning, dogs and a deep appreciation of jazz.

He is survived by daughter Dr. Cheryl Kassed (husband Geoff Patton) of Silver Spring; son Steven Kassed (wife Gail Kassed, East Greenwich), and grandchildren Josh Kassed, Leah Landry, Steven Kassed, Jesse Kassed and Noah Montanari; stepsons Chris Montanari and Shawn Montanari; and sister Linda Kassed Baer Nieberg (husband Lew Nieberg). Sadly for Marvin and the family, the whereabouts of his third son, Robert Kassed, are unknown. Memorial contributions be made to your local NPR news station in memory of Marvin W Kassed.