Marvin Ginsberg, 82, owned furniture store
Marvin Ginsberg, a retired furniture store owner, died Tuesday at Greater Baltimore Medical Center after a 17-year struggle with cancer. He was 82 and lived in Pikesville.
Until he retired in 1985, he owned and operated Wieland's Furniture, a company he founded in 1949 with other family members. The business originally was known as Highland Furniture. Its name was changed after his 1962 purchase of Wieland's Furniture at Howard and Franklin streets in downtown Baltimore.
Family members said he refused to let his illness stop him from attending the bat mitzvah of his granddaughter, Juliana Ginsberg, in December in Lexington, Mass.
Born in Baltimore and raised in the Easterwood Park section of West Baltimore, Mr. Ginsberg was a 1937 City College graduate.
He joined the Army in 1940 and rose to the rank of staff sergeant in the 135th Engineers Combat Battalion. He spoke German and was in charge of obtaining supplies for the outfit. As the Allies overtook German soil, he became the acting mayor of several German towns.
"He was probably the first Jewish mayor those towns enjoyed," said his son, Dr. Barry Ginsberg of Lexington.
He was a member of Beth El Congregation.
In 1947, he married Mitzi Yanklove, who survives him.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Sol Levinson & Bros. Inc., 8900 Reisterstown Road.
He also is survived by a daughter, Beryl Kreitzer of Baltimore; a brother, Norman Ginsberg of Westminster; and a grandson.