Jorge Antonio Marban

Jorge Antonio Marban, 75, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 6, 2011 in Mt. Pleasant, SC at the Hospice of Charleston Center after a valiant 9 month fight against lung cancer. His beloved wife Dottie was at his side then and throughout his ordeal. Jorge was a man of great honor, dignity, and courage with a sense of social and moral justice that guided him throughout his life. He was a good, kind, and gentle man who cared deeply for his family and friends in the most loving and loyal way. He also showed great concern and compassion for those in need who suffered because of illness, poverty, or political repression. He was a gracious gentleman who showed a consideration for others beyond compare and always wanted the best for everyone in his life. Jorge was born on September 3, 1935 in Havana, Cuba where his early education took place in a loving family that instilled in him his lifetime love of learning. As a law student at the University of Havana, he became involved in the political movement led by Fidel Castro against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. His idealistic dream of democracy in Cuba was shattered when Castro established his totalitarian regime. At the time Jorge was on leave from his position as a lieutenant in the rebel army and was studying at the University of Rome, Italy (1960-61) under the Lanuza Fellowship, awarded for the highest academic standing in the Law School. From there he denounced the Castro regime and soon started a new life in the United States, living in New York and Miami. He never returned to Cuba because he could not bear to set foot on his homeland that was not free. His political idealism always remained with him, and he was fortunate to become a citizen in his second homeland, a true democracy, where he lived for more than 50 years. In addition to his Master of Social Sciences and Doctor of Law degrees from the University of Havana, Jorge received an M.A. in Spanish American Literature from Trinity College, Hartford, CT in 1967 and a PhD in Spanish Literature from Emory University in 1969. He began his career as a teacher of Spanish, first at Suffolk, VA High School, then Converse College, Spartanburg, SC, Oglethorpe College, Atlanta, GA, Quinnipiac College, Hamden, CT, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, and finally the College of Charleston, SC (1976) where he retired in 2002 as a Distinguished Professor of Spanish and Italian. Jorge touched so many lives, young and old, without realizing how much. During his long teaching career he always encouraged and helped his students to reach to the highest level of their capability. He enjoyed taking students to Spain where he enthusiastically taught them Spanish culture and language through the living experience. He established the Italian Program at the College of Charleston and continued teaching Italian part time after his retirement until 2008. He loved everything Italian - its culture, people, food and wine. He loved literature and history and extensively published journal articles and books throughout his professional career and afterwards. In 2000 he was awarded the College of Charleston Distinguished Research Award. While undergoing cancer treatments, he succeeded in completing his last book: Confederate Patriot, Journalist, and Poet: The Multifaceted Life of José Agustn Quintero. Jorge was a leader, mentor, dedicated teacher, and avid scholar in every way - a man of great commitment in his work, philosophy of life, and marriage. Jorge - always a teacher, always a student. He enjoyed telling stories of his life experiences and travels and he read voraciously, always wanting to learn more about anything and everything. Even after discovering the powers of Google, he would still enjoy pulling out the old encyclopedias in search of an answer. He discovered the early Celtic origin of the Marban name and relished adding that Irish heritage to his Spanish and Cuban ancestry. He loved his books, baseball, politics, movies, and travel - and spending quality time with close family and friends. He met his wife Dottie as a graduate student at Emory University in 1966, they were married in Bristol, CT in 1967, and they came to Charleston in 1976 where they lived on James Island. They were deeply devoted to each other in their marriage of more than 43 years. As a truly loving and wonderful husband, there was nothing he would rather do than share life with Dottie. They worked together and traveled the world together, leading an active life full of fascinating adventures and blessed by the joy of true soul mates. Jorge will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and more than anything by his beloved wife Dottie. Jorge is predeceased by his mother, Rosario Leiva, his father, Edilberto Marban Escobar, his brother Edilberto Antonio Marban, his sister-in-law Elsa Sanchez-Marban, his stepmother, Hilda Marban de Abajo, and his mother-in law and father-in-law, Anna and William May, whom he loved as his second parents. Jorge leaves behind his wife Dorothy, paternal half brother Eduardo, brother-in-law and sister-in-law William and Ann May, several cousins, nieces and nephews, including his special grandnephew Zachary and his mother Elsa, as well as many loving friends from near and far. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society (lung cancer research), South Atlantic Division, P.O. Box 100902, Columbia, SC 29290, or to Hospice of Charleston Foundation, 676 Wando Park Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. A memorial service will be held privately.