Marvin E. Selby

SELBY, Marvin E., age 78, of Dayton, Ohio, passed away on September 5, 2024 at his home…. the way he hoped he would leave this earth. 

Marvin was raised in Kettering, Ohio and graduated from Fairmont High School in 1964. He attended the University of Dayton before starting his career at IBM. Unfulfilled by corporate life, Marvin ventured into entrepreneurship, initially opening a TV repair shop. He eventually founded his own office machine repair company, Professional Service Associates, where he spent much of his career self-employed. During the summers he employed his children to help prepare hundreds of office machines for the new school year. Although the pay was minimal, this provided a good opportunity for bonding.

As a father, Marvin cherished the time spent with his children. He took his kids on picnics and fishing trips to Cowan Lake and canoeing adventures around the area. Alongside his friend, Don, he would borrow movies on reel from the library for their families to enjoy on summer evenings, complete with popcorn and laughter over Laurel & Hardy, Little Rascals and their own home movies. 

Marvin encouraged exploration and hands on learning. He built a play office complete with working phones and built a miniature steam engine, fostering an environment of curiosity and innovation. He even taught his young children how to ‘drive’ a stick shift by pressing the clutch while they shifted with their left hand from the front passenger seat. Through interactions like this, Marvin found a way to make his children feel loved and special.

In his 40’s, Marvin fulfilled his dream of living on a farm with his then wife, Doris. They rented 40 acres of farmland, raising livestock and growing U-pick vegetables. This period deepened his love for animals and country life.

Active in Sugarcreek Presbyterian Church in Kettering, Marv sang in the choir and led the teen group. His creativity shone through in various church activities, notably becoming “Souperman” to promote a Soup and Salad fundraiser. Dressed in blue thermal underwear with red shorts and a red & white checked tablecloth/cape, he flew into the sanctuary to encourage the congregation to attend. During the sell-out event, he developed entertainment reminiscent of place appropriate SNL skits. His wit was never-ending.

Curiosity drove Marvin to explore many interests deeply. His fascination with religion led him to become a certified Lay Pastor and he was able to write and deliver sermons. He explored the practical application of the bible through his sermons and finally got comfortable with his own spirituality. His library is still full of many of the books he used during this period of exploration and self-reflection.

Marvin relished solving complex problems, often tackling repairs deemed ‘impossible’ or just ‘too darn hard’ by others. He dove into these repairs with vigor. As a life-long smoker, he would take several smoke breaks to consider a problem, all his options, and the most efficient way to get to the finish line. It could be a maddening process to watch, but it worked for him. While he could solve almost any problem, he didn’t always have a safety orientation in his work. He was known to take all guards off equipment to remove any restrictions on his creativity. He would ignore any protests as he was confident in his judgement and abilities. He once cut himself on a grinder and when asked if he needed to go to the ER for stitches, he ignored the question and quietly removed & applied a band aid from between 2 bills in his wallet. He then commented that on a scale of 1-10, this was a zero.

To his grandchildren, Marvin was “Poppy,” a role he embraced with joy and abandon. Gone was any expectation of responsibility. Poppy created special connections with each grandchild, sharing unique moments with each one. From folding his eyelids in half and showing the whites of his eyes to scare the kids, to helping with Rube Goldberg projects to driving his grandson around Germany exploring his heritage, he was always happiest when spending time with his grandchildren.

In his final years, health issues kept Marvin from participating in many family events. Even when he was able to attend family gatherings, he was anxious to get home. He lost almost all his hearing and spent most of his last year at home with his remaining beloved animals, who were with him when he passed.

Marvin was the proud father of two children, Christopher (Whittney) Selby and Melissa (Christopher) Young, who both survive him. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren – Jomel, Kenneth, Maggie, Parker, Harlan, Wyatt and Finley Selby, Kristin (Dallis) Conrad, Nicholas (Molly) Rider, Chris Young and Benjamin Young, and 2 great grandchildren – Dallis Conrad IV and Theodore Rider. He is also survived by a beloved niece, Heather (Josh) Shouse. Marvin was preceded in death by his father, Ralph, his mother, Edith Louise, and his siblings, Miriam and Howard. 

There will be no public visitation or service. The family plans a private celebration of life with toasts of Scotch, Marv’s beverage of choice.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Marv’s favorite Animal Shelter & Clinic, His Hands Extended Sanctuary in Saint Paris, Ohio or SICSA of Dayton, Ohio.