Marv Lachman has been a highly valued contributor to Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine for over 30 years. He was also a good friend. I knew from recent reports that his health had failed that he had terminal bone cancer, but it still greatly saddened me when I heard of his recent death at age 91. I will personally miss him very much — and the world of mystery fiction will miss his encyclopedic knowledge of the genre.

Here is the official obituary that I received by e-mail:

MARVIN LACHMAN

1932-2023

Marvin Lachman died of complications related to cancer.  He grew up in the Bronx, New York, the son of Louis and Helen (Rickner) Lachman.   He graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the City College of New York.  Then he suffered through his two years of service as a draftee in the U.S. Army. But because he was stationed in New York for part of his time in the service and had access to the USO, he became a fan and scholar of theatre.   Following his honorable discharge he moved to Los Angeles where, in 1956 he was introduced to the future love of his life, Carol Ganelin.  Six weeks later, on January 12, 1957 they were married, and stayed that way until his death. On March 15, 1958, their son Steven was born in the Bronx.  Marvin was a loving and patient father.

He was passionate about a number of things – theatre, tennis, birding, show music, classical music, English language, but especially mysteries of which he became one of the world’s preeminent scholars, writing extensively about the field in books and magazines. He was recognized by the Mystery Writers of America with “Edgar” and “Raven” awards, as well as many other awards.

As to tennis, he started playing at 17 and played his last set at 87, at which time he said “I think playing for 70 years is enough.”

Marvin and Carol moved from the Bronx to Suffern NY in 1979 and then to Santa Fe in 1988 where they lived for more than 35 years.

Marv and Carol took great pride in starting the Friends of the Library Bookstore at the Southside Branch of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Besides wife Carol and son Steven, Marvin is survived by grandson Matthew Lachman (of Washington D.C.), granddaughter Shannon Dennis (of Menlo Park, CA) and great granddaughters Anna and Zoe.  Marvin loved and was proud of all of them.