Robert Marks

Robert Marks, 90, of South Orange died Sept. 27, 2010. He was born in Troy, NY, moving to Short Hills in 1957 and South Orange in 2000.

He graduated from the University of Michigan and Harvard Law School. In 1942, after a year at law school, he enlisted in the Navy as the communications officer on a destroyer in the north Atlantic and the Mediterranean. When the war ended in Europe he was transferred to the Pacific. He had in his possession maps that were to be used in the invasion of Japan, but the destroyer got as far as Pearl Harbor when the war ended. He returned to Harvard, graduating in 1947.

After a year as a lawyer for the Department of Agriculture dealing with maritime law he joined the family businesses, Conmar Products Corp., manufacturers of zippers, and Margon Corporation, manufacturers of moving eyes for dolls, both in Newark. From the 1970s-1990s he was the president of Measurex, a supplier of specialty measures for the food, drug, and chemical industries.

He was a founding member of the ACLU of NJ, serving as treasurer for at least two decades. It is now celebrating its 50th year.

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In the mid-1970s he joined the board of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, becoming chair two years later and serving in the role for 16 years.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Paulina; his daughter, Lucy Marks of Summit; two sons, Edward of Millburn and Paul of New York; a sister, Margery Howard of Massachusetts; and four grandsons.

Services were held Sept. 28 with arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn, Union. Memorial contributions may be made to the ACLU of NJ Foundation or Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Foundation.