Marvin R Engel

Marvin Engel was a well-known and respected leader in the Birmingham business community and in Alabama’s philanthropic circles. A Birmingham native, he earned his B.S. degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1942, and then entered the military. He served in the U.S. Army for three and a half years before being honorably discharged on December 7, 1945, as a first sergeant in the Signal Corps. After military service he returned to Birmingham and joined his father, William P. Engel, in the family business – Engel Realty Company. At that time, he and his wife Ruth also took over leadership of the family foundation which his father had established. Through the years, the Engel Foundation has generously supported the Birmingham community, lending a helping hand to the arts, health, and education. Upon the death of his father in 1973, Mr. Engel headed the family business with distinction until 1986 when he sold Engel Realty. Even before his retirement, Mr. Engel was active in civic affairs. In the fifteen years since retirement, he has devoted his time to the betterment of his community and state by serving on boards and fundraising committees of a number of worthy organizations, including the Alabama Eye Institute, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Symphonic Association, Birmingham Museum of Art’s Art Fund, Birmingham Zoo, Kiwanis Club, Leadership Birmingham, and National Symphony Orchestra. He was also active in community religious affairs and was a board member and past President of Temple Emanu-El and of the Southeast Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Marvin and Ruth Engel have two children, Barbara and Bill, and three grandchildren. Marvin Engel passed away on April 23, 2013.