Marvin SHOOB

1923 - 2017

SHOOB, Judge Marvin H. Judge Marvin H. Shoob passed away on June 12, 2017. Born February 23, 1923 in Walterboro, South Carolina, he grew up in Savannah, Georgia and graduated from Savannah High School. He was an engineering student at Georgia Tech when his education was interrupted by World War II. The U.S. Army sent him to Virginia Military Institute where he was elected President of the student body, and then he fought in the European campaign. Serving in the U.S. Army infantry, he was lost behind enemy lines in Germany and presumed dead (due to his one notable character flaw: a poor sense of direction.) He was later awarded the Bronze Star for valor. After the war, Judge Shoob attended the University of Georgia Law School under the GI Bill, graduating second in his class in 1948. Settling in Atlanta, Georgia, he married the love of his life, the former Janice Paradies, and embarked upon what was to become a 67-year romance. In 1949, he began the practice of law with Nall & Miller. Eventually, he partnered with James P. McLain to begin the law firm that became known as "Shoob, McClain, Merritt, & Lyle". As a young Atlanta attorney, he was active in the Democratic Party of Georgia, and in the 1960's, he was Treasurer of the Fulton County Democratic Party and was a Delegate to the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Continuing to be active in state politics, he was Finance Chair for Senator Sam Nunn in his first campaign for the U.S. Senate, leading to a lifetime close friendship. In 1979, he was nominated by President Carter to serve as a Federal Judge in the Northern District of Georgia. He served in that position for the next 37 years, retiring in 2016 at the age of 93. Judge Shoob enjoyed relaxing at home with his family and playing, as he described it, occasional games of "mediocre" tennis with other judges, but the truth was that his favorite avocation was his vocation. Judge Shoob's cases landed him on CBS' 60 Minutes twice where he developed a national following and a reputation for "Doing the Right Thing". In 1989, the New York Times described his dealings with Justice Department prosecutors regarding 1800 Cuban refugees who arrived in this country on the Mariel boat lift: "We're not dealing with numbers,' he told Government attorneys who appeared before him. 'These are human beings who have been sitting out there for 14 months. I'm not inclined to grant any more time. I don't think any real effort has been made,' he said of the Government. 'Maybe it's just the inertia of bureaucracy, or maybe somebody in Washington just will not face the issue.' In his long career, Judge Shoob never flinched from making the hard decisions or "facing the issue". U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten said about Judge Shoob, "He was a great judge who was blessed with uncommon wisdom and a tender heart." In 1993, he was honored with the Atlanta Bar Association's Logan E. Bleckley Award and in 2015, he was recognized as a "Lifetime Achiever" by the Fulton County Daily Report, Atlanta's legal newspaper. In 2007, he received the Charles Weltner Profile in Courage Award from the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. He also received the Tradition of Excellence Award from the State Bar of Georgia. He is survived by his wife Janice, his daughter, Senior Superior Court Judge Wendy Shoob, his son Michael Shoob, his son-in-law Walter Jospin, his daughter-in-law Robin Shoob, and his two grandchildren, Alexandra Shoob Jospin and Scott Shoob Jospin. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 16, 2017, at the Temple, 1589 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Atlanta Legal Aid Society or Georgia Legal Services Program.