Marvin C. Korengold, M.D. of Chevy Chase, Maryland passed away on September 19th, 2019 after a short illness. He lived an extraordinary life devoted to his family and was known for his leadership within the D.C. medical community, hard work, integrity and an interest in social justice. He was a pioneer within the field of neurology, serving as the Founder and President of The Neurology Center, which was the first private practice that brought the CT scanner to the Washington DC area in 1975.

He was born on October 27th, 1923 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Morris Korengold and Ida Borovsky. Marvin attended North High School in Minneapolis. Out of six hundred students, he graduated as co-valedictorian at age sixteen. Marvin went on to attend the University of Minnesota where he was President of his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu, and an active member of campus politics. In all, he received four degrees from the University of Minnesota.

While a student, Marvin met Betty Lou Haydnet and they married in 1947. After their marriage ended in divorce, Marvin married Edna Gerler in 1959 and they were married for 49 years.

After completing his residency program, Marvin accepted a position at the National Institute of Heath in 1953 and moved his young family to Washington, D.C. At the time, neurology was still a fairly new field as many thought neurologists were the middlemen between internists and neurosurgeons. Marvin took this as a direct challenge to establish the legitimate need for the neurology specialty. In conjunction with his private practice, Marvin was very active in hospitals where there were no neurologists, only neurosurgeons. He also served as the President of the D.C. Medical Society and Chairman of the Board where he headed the Polio Vaccination Program that helped vaccinate 1.5 million people. He received humanitarian and community service awards for this work and acknowledgements from President Johnson. Marvin also led the freedom of choice issue on abortion. He helped with establishing non-smoking sections on airplanes which in turn led to further restrictions on smoking in workplaces and public spaces. Marvin testified in Congress on the major legislative issue to allow physicians in D.C. to incorporate which became law. He served as the President of the Academy of Medicine, and served on the faculties of both the Georgetown and the George Washington University Medical Schools.

In addition, Marvin served as an active board member of the Washington Performing Arts and Chair of its Executive Committee. Among many passions, he particularly loved bridge, tennis and traveling. He had a legendary Midwestern sense of humor and never missed a Grandparents' Day.

Beloved by all his family, Marvin is survived by the youngest of his three siblings, Noel Korengold (Dianne), and his four children: Danny Korengold (Martha), Tommy Korengold, George Korengold (Barbara), and Karen Twible (Dana), ten grandchildren, including Adam Korengold (Anne), Erin Markowitz (David), Madelyn Terbell (Jon), Kathryn Eliza Bernstorf (Stephan), William Korengold (Kathryn), Hannah Greer Korengold, Meghan Twible, Kara Korengold, Meredith Korengold, Kendall Korengold and four great grandchildren, Maeve Korengold, Dylan Korengold, Sam Markowitz and Ben Markowitz, and his devoted partner of ten years Diane Sykes.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday, September 25th, at 11am at Washington Hebrew Congregation,3935 Macomb St NW, Washington, DC 20016. Interment will follow at Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park in Clarksburg, MD. Memorial contributions may be made to the Washington Hebrew Congregation or The Washington Performing Arts.

Washington Hebrew Congregation
3935 Macomb St NW, Washington DC 20016
Tel: 1-202-362-7100
Web: https://www.whctemple.org/faith-in-action/giving

Washington Performing Arts
1400 K St NW #500, Washington DC 20005
Tel: 1-202-785-9727
Web: https://www.washingtonperformingarts.org/support/donate-now/