Philip Walter Marin, MD

Philip Walter Marin, MD
Born March 30, 1942, in New York, NY
Died November 25, 2021, in St. Paul, MN

Preceded in death by mother, Ann Kucich Marin, and father, Nicolas Marin. Survived by his wife, Selma (Sally) Michaels Marin, his son, Philip C. Marin (Heidi Bonogofsky Marin), and daughter Zoe Marin (Kyle Ness), and grandsons Nicolas and Dominic Marin, and Charles Ness. 

Phil spent his youth in Astoria, Queens, where he acquired a love of the Yankees, learned how to fight, and discovered that a good education was his best ticket to a better life. In 1959, he graduated from Holy Cross High School (Queens, NY) where he excelled at academics and football. His gaze turned to the midwest for college, where he was accepted to the University of Notre Dame (Class of 1963). As a freshman, he met his future wife, Sally, then a student at St. Mary’s College, at a mixer held at the iconic Stepan Center. After graduation, he moved to Chicago to attend the Northwestern University School of Medicine (Class of 1967), and in order to save money, shared a tiny apartment his freshman year with 5 other students, including lifelong friends Drs. Michael Murphy and Gerry Goshgarian.

After wedding in 1967, Phil and Sally settled in the Bronx, NY, where they welcomed their first child, Philip, Jr. Soon after, Phil, Sr. was drafted into the army and stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. There he gained invaluable experience working in the burn unit, and was later promoted to Major. He was also recruited to train with the pentathlon team after it was discovered he was both a fast runner and a natural marksman. Following his service, the family returned to Chicago where Phil completed his residency at Northwestern University School of Medicine, specializing in internal medicine and nephrology, and where daughter Zoe was born. 

In 1975, Phil moved the family to Grand Forks, ND, to join the medical team of the newly constructed United Hospital and Grand Forks Clinic. Phil became one of the pillars of both the Dialysis Unit and Intensive Care Unit, working alongside Drs. Mark Carter and Wayne Breitwieser for decades. Phil was legendary for his boisterous and colorful personality, as well as his dedication to his patients, all of which endeared him to his colleagues. During his career, he built valuable bridges between the hospital and the Native American community, and was instrumental in opening a remote renal dialysis unit in Devils Lake in order to improve the quality of life for his patients. Near the end of his career, the Native American community honored Phil by presenting him with two Star Quilts. He was also a frequent guest lecturer at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine.

In the late ‘70s, Phil discovered long-distance running, and joined a running group that included his life-long friend, Tom Lockney. Together they often covered 10 miles a day, completed many marathons and eventually, Phil managed to qualify for the Boston Marathon. When his knees began to protest, he switch to long-distance biking and later, swimming, where he became a noon-hour fixture at the Hyslop Rec Center on the University of North Dakota campus for many years.

Phil was an ardent provider who loved his family and was determined to ensure his children had easier access to opportunity than he had. Phil and Sally remained fixtures in the Grand Forks community for nearly 40 years before retiring to the Minneapolis-St.Paul Metro area to be close to friends and family. He will be greatly missed by all who had the good fortune of sharing a meal and lively conversation with him.
 

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