Family. Country. God.

Golf and the art of the deal.

Those are the five things that Carmen Marino stood for.

Carmen, 91, passed away in Savannah on Sept.1, 2024 after a brief illness.

A true gentleman of the finest sort, to say he lived an illustrious life would be a vast understatement. One of 21 children (not a typo), Carmen was born on July 2, 1933 to Jennie and Dominick Marino in Englewood, New Jersey. The son of Italian immigrants, Carmen began working when he was eight-years-old selling bleach door to door with his father. At about this same age, Carmen also began working as a golf caddy. He grew to love the game deeply and vowed to himself that he would not be a caddy, but a player someday. It was also during this time that he learned to play cards on breaks, poker in particular, which he became very skilled in over the years.

As soon as he was of age, he voluntarily enlisted in the United States Army where he began his military service as a draftsman because of his excellent drawing skills. A paratrooper in the Korean War, he spent a year in combat as a machine gunner and platoon sergeant with the 27th regiment (Wolfhounds) of the 25th Infantry Division.

After his service, he became a self-made businessman in the New Jersey and New York areas making slipcovers and later the hotel/motel business, of which he owned and operated several.

An artist who loved art, Carmen attended interior design school. He also owned several Barbizon modeling schools in New Jersey and New York, and at one point, a driving range and at another some bingo parlors. Suffice to say he was involved in many interesting business ventures too numerous to mention here.

The work ethic he learned as a boy stayed with him throughout this life. As soon as he could afford to, he made true on the promise kept to himself as a young caddy and played golf as much as he could and whenever he could, having belonged to country clubs and lived on several golf courses over his lifetime in New Jersey, Florida, and South Carolina respectively. He typically shot in the upper 60s to low 70s and enjoyed watching and teaching others about the game as much as he loved playing it.

Carmen also enjoyed coin collecting, debating politics and history. A walking encyclopedia of knowledge, everyone who knew him knew he could tell a story, which he did well and quite often. But what he did most of all in his life was simply be a remarkable husband, father and friend to all. He was someone who would (and did quite literally) “give you the shirt off his back” if you needed it.

Carmen spent the last 55 years being married to his devoted, loyal and loving wife Irmgard “Mary” Marino. Affectionately known in the family as his Bonnie and her Clyde, the pair were and remain a true inspiration to all of us who wanted families of our own.

Preceded in death by his daughter Sally and numerous siblings, Carmen is survived by his wife Irmgard, son Dominick (Michelle) and daughters Michele LaSala (Mike), Lisa Marino Martens, and Jen Marino (Jennifer Strickland) and Marlene Marino as well as brothers Dicky Marino and Nicky Marino and sister Gloria Deracole. Carmen leaves behind nine grandchildren: Luis, Willy, Mike, Ashley, Courtney, Dustin, Rene, Bruce, and Bryan and six great grandchildren: Scotty, Harper, Faith, Wesley, Beckham and Whitaker as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation is at 1:00 p.m. Thursday September 5 at Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors Hodgson Chapel, followed by a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Korean War Veteran’s Association at www.kwva.us .

An online guestbook is available at www.foxandweeks.com