Mr. Robert Kent Marshall

Bob was born on April 16, 1927 at the Columbus Hospital in Chicago to Fred Marshall, a BF Goodrich salesman, and Helen Kellogg Marshall, homemaker and gifted amateur artist. He was to be their only child. Early pictures of the young Bob show him clutching various toy trains, an interest that would span a life time. His father's employer kept the family moving around; Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and eventually the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. Two common threads of interest no matter where the family lived were the Boy Scouts and toy trains. Significant periods during his youth as a Boy Scout were served as camper and counselor at Treasure Island Scout Camp, the Philadelphia Area Council's camp north of the city. Two of his most cherished accomplishments as a Boy Scout were earning the rank of Eagle Scout and election to membership in the Order of the Arrow's Unami Lodge #1. World War Two brought the family to the Washington area. With the exception of military service and sales training, Bob would live the rest of his life in Maryland. Before graduating high school, Bob enlisted in the United States Navy. Upon graduation in 1945, he found himself undergoing recruit training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center north of Chicago. After completing training he was assigned to the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The ship sailed south to San Diego Naval Base, flew her planes off and underwent conversion to a troop transport as part of Operation Magic Carpet. Bob made two cruises to the western Pacific, Guam and Samar in the Philippines to bring troops and equipment home to the United States. In 1946, the USS Bunker Hill ended her active naval career in Seattle and was placed in mothballs. Electrician's Mate Third Class Robert Marshall was honorably discharged from the Navy soon afterwards and returned home to Maryland. With the assistance of the GI Bill, Bob attended Montgomery College and the University of Maryland at College Park with a major in Industrial Education and membership in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. At College Park, on a blind date, he met his future wife, Martha Washington "Bunny" Fortney. After graduation in 1952 he married Bunny and accepted a position with US Steel. After a year of sales training in Pittsburgh, the young family settled down in Bethesda. 1954 brought their first child, Bruce "Chips." Soon afterwards the family moved again to Silver Spring and celebrated the arrival of their second and third children, Sharon Marie (1957) and Susan Yvonne (1959). During the family's time in Pittsburgh, Bob met fellow toy train collectors at various meetings in the mid-Atlantic region. The Train Collectors Association (TCA) was formally organized in 1954 with Bob as one of its charter members. Over the following years, the TCA would be a large part of the family's life. The members and their families became part of the Marshall's extended family enriching their lives with shared experiences and lasting memories. As the children got older, Bob and Bunny got each of them involved with Scouting. Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, Bob was always involved making the Scouting experience as special as it could be. Taking an example from his parents and in-laws, he knew that parental involvement was an important responsibility. In addition to the ubiquitous camping trips, Bob participated in a number of canoe trips of some length and biked the entire length of the C&O Canal. During the scouting adventures with his children he was blessed with the presence of other likeminded parents seeking to enrich their children's experience. When university studies absorbed each of the children's time, Bob got more involved with the TCA and the Capitol Miniature Auto Collectors Club. His hobby of collecting antique toys regularly involved trips to the meets at York and Allentown, Pennsylvania, smaller local meets, and gatherings at the homes of fellow collectors. Retirement from steel sales only gave him more time with his beloved wife and hobby. In 1996, Bob and Bunny fulfilled a long held dream traveling to England and France to visit fellow toy collectors and see the sites. Bob passed away quietly at his home in Silver Spring, Maryland on October 13, 2011. He is survived by his wife Bunny, three children and a son-in-law, five grandchildren (two of whom are Marine officers), and six great-grandchildren. At this writing, the memorial service is scheduled for 1:00pm on November 19, 2011 at Fort Meade, Maryland. Further details will be posted as they become available. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the United Services Organization (USO), the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, and/or the Salvation Army.