Former WDMA Chairman and long-time board member Frank R. Marvin passed away on March 2. Frank was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and long-time executive at Marvin, with a remarkable 42-year career at the window and door manufacturer headquartered in Warroad, Minnesota.
Frank’s legacy is one of incredible personal impact on thousands of customers, employees, and community members. His uncommon ability to genuinely and thoughtfully connect with people by recalling the smallest and most unique of details about them, coupled with his signature humility and approachability, will leave a lasting effect on all who had the opportunity to know him.
“My dad touched so many with his genuine interest in others—be it customers, employees, community members or his own family,” said Paul Marvin, Marvin Board Member and CEO. “It will be impossible to replicate his trademark ability to make every person feel special and his uncanny talent for connecting to so many in a very relatable way. We are incredibly fortunate to have known his kindness, his commitment and his unwavering support.”
Frank’s customer-centric mindset and dedication to people shaped cornerstones of the Marvin business that continue today, including the company’s Signature Services department. It was here that Frank made an indelible impact on Marvin’s unique approach to complex, one-of-a-kind solutions for some of the most noteworthy spaces across the U.S. Perhaps most notably, Frank will be remembered for initiating the company’s production of its first round top windows, which would usher in the mass production of radius windows in the industry. In turn, this innovation transformed American architecture and helped to propel Marvin’s explosive growth in the 1980s.
“My dad was always willing to do whatever it took to meet our customers’ needs,” said Will Marvin, Marvin Board Member and Director of Retail Operations. “Where others saw the impossible, he relished the opportunity to find a solution and inspire others to do the same.”
Frank joined Marvin full-time in April 1969 and would later become the first member of the third generation of Marvin family to be elected to the Board of Directors. He served as Vice President of Sales from 1977 to 1981, after which he began an 11-year term as company President during a period of significant growth for Marvin. He later served as Vice Chairman of the Board and led company-owned distribution and retail operations until he retired in August 2011.
“My dad’s leadership and influence on the business through so many decades is something I will always remember and am grateful to have learned from,” said Dan Marvin, Marvin Board Member and President of Infinity from Marvin. “Marvin simply would not be what it is without his countless contributions.”
Throughout his career, Frank was involved in many civic and business organizations, including serving as a long-time member and chairman of what is now known as the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA).
“Frank’s contributions to the association and the industry are innumerable,” said WDMA President and CEO Michael O’Brien. “His leadership and support of WDMA helped propel it into the vital association it is today.”
Despite his successes, nothing meant more to Frank than his wife of 57 years, Margaret, their six children and spouses, and their 24 grandchildren, which represent part of the fifth generation and future of the company.
A visitation will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 10 at the Wm. S. Marvin Training and Visitor Center in Warroad, Minn., with a prayer service at 6 p.m. A funeral service will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 11 at the Warroad High School gymnasium.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Warroad RiverPlace, an arts, culture and event center opening in the fall of 2024.
Warroad RiverPlace
P.O. Box 17
Warroad, MN 56763
