Writings and Reflections

Two Obituaries for Uncle Marty

by Lloyd B. Abrams

"Uncle Marty" - Martin Zwick - was my mother's only brother. The exuberant way he lived his life was so much different from what I had learned from my parents. Marty died after an extremely long bout with prostate cancer, on his terms, in a hospice, on a sparkling Friday afternoon. The next morning, in my usual way of mourning by engaging in an activity, I wrote the following obituary which appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune on Sunday, September 25, 2005.

Martin Zwick 1920 ~ 2005 Martin Zwick, 84, a lifelong musician and a true man of the world, was born to Jacob and Annie Zwick in Brooklyn, New York November 22, 1920. His musical career began with Leopold Stokowski's All-American Youth Orchestra. Later, he joined the army and was solo clarinetist with the Army Signal Corps Band for five years during World War II.

After leaving the army, Martin moved to Los Angeles and freelanced, playing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestras as well as doing recordings for the movies. He was a founding member of the Ojai Music Festival and also taught at the Henry George School of Economics in Los Angeles.

Martin used funds from the G. I. Bill to further his musical studies in Paris where he graduated from the École Normale De Musique De Paris. On returning to New York, he was engaged by Maestro Maurice Abravanel as Principal Clarinetist of the Utah Symphony, a position he held for 28 years. His college studies, which he began in New York and Los Angeles, were completed at the University of Utah.

In Salt Lake City, Martin was both a musician extraordinaire and an educator. He taught elementary instrumental music in the Granite and Murray school districts and was an adjunct associate professor at the University of Utah and Westminister College.

Martin met and married Muriel Hood Zwick, who is now deceased, in the early 1950's. Both Martin and Muriel were members of the First Unitarian Church.

Martin Zwick had a lifelong interest in world travel and photography. After retiring from the Utah Symphony, he had a second career playing, teaching and recording with the mandolin.

Martin was truly a renaissance man. His joy of life and his spirit, his love of music and teaching, his enjoyment of good food, of great books and of his wonderful friends and his close family, all touched and affected many lives.

Martin Zwick is survived by his son, Patrick Donovan Zwick; two grandsons, Patrick Dylan Zwick and Marek Martin Zwick; his daughter-in-law, Ursula Konarska Zwick; and three nephews, and their families.

Memorial Service to be held Monday, October 3rd, 4 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church, 569 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Utah Symphony.




There was also a second obituary, with some irreverent wording, which Martin's son, Patrick, passed around to his closest friends. Uncle Marty would have fully approved.

Martin Zwick, a life-long musician, was born to Jacob and Annie S. Zwick in New York City on November 22, 1920. His musical career began with Leopold Stokowski's All-American Youth Orchestra. To escape from a dysfunctional home, where alcoholism, abuse and depression prevailed, he joined the army and was a solo clarinetist with the Army Signal Corps Band. His stay in the army, which encompassed the World War II years, lasted for five years until he was court-martialed for playing purposely off-tune to anti-Semitic and ungrateful French soldiers in a whorehouse in Paris.

After leaving the army, Martin moved to Los Angeles and played in the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Symphony. He also played in recordings for movies and was a founding member of the Ojai Music Festival, which closed because of a rapid failing of interest.

Martin went to Paris for advanced music studies under the G.I. Bill. There, he met Maestro Maurice Abravanel, who later engaged him as Principal Clarinetist of the Utah Symphony, a position he held for 28 years. His college studies, which he began at Rikers Island in New York and at Alcatraz in California, were completed under the stadium bleachers at the University of Utah. Unbelievably, he loved Salt Lake City despite being a Jewnatarian in a world of Mo-mo putz punims and infuriatingly bad drivers. Martin was truly a stranger in a strange land!

In Salt Lake City, he was both a musician extraordinaire and a teacher to tone-deaf students of all ages. He taught elementary instrumental music in the Granite and Murray school districts and was an adjunct associate professor at the University of Utah and at Westminister College. Previously, he taught economics at the Henry George School in Los Angeles until the school went bankrupt.

Martin Zwick had a life-long interest in world travel and photography, with his $2.95 Brownie camera. After retiring from the Utah Symphony, he had a second career playing and teaching the mandolin. He made many people miserable with his crappy playing of worn-out, too-often-heard tunes.

Martin met and married Muriel Hood Zwick, who is now deceased, in the early 1950's. Martin, a lifelong skeptic and trouble-maker, was a member of the First Unitarian Church. It is only because of Muriel's iron glove that Martin's irreverence and rambunctiousness were kept in check, and kept him from being repeatedly incarcerated.

Martin was truly a renaissance man before such men were thought of as gay throwbacks. His joy of life and his spirit, his enjoyment of good food, great books and wonderful friends, his love of music and teaching, touched many lives, until that certain accusation from BYU cheerleaders that hit the papers in St. George but which will not be mentioned here.

Martin Zwick is survived by his son, Patrick Donovan Zwick, two grandsons, Patrick Dylan Zwick and Marek Martin Zwick, his daughter-in-law, Ursula Kanarska Zwick, and three nephews and their families.

Original versions / September 24, 2005 .. Combined / March 24, 2008

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March, 2008…Copyright © 2008, Lloyd B. Abrams
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