Marvin Brooks

"Marvin Brooks, 53, who served as the public address announcer at what is now the US Airways Arena from 1973 to 1993, died Feb. 23, 1998 at his home in Silver Spring after a heart attack.

Mr. Brooks, with his deep bass voice, was the voice of the Washington Bullets and Capitals from the time the Capital Centre opened in 1973. Over the years, he was the announcer for all but a few games.

Through his company, Marv Brooks Production Inc., Mr. Brooks in recent years worked as a freelance announcer, doing voice-overs and narrations for CD-ROMs and government and private training audio and video tapes.

Mr. Brooks, a native of Detroit, attended Michigan State University for a year, then began his career at a small radio station on Long Island. Known as Marvelous Marv, he worked as a rock-and-roll disc jockey before coming to the Washington area in the late 1960s.

He started WMOD-FM, an oldies radio station, which later became country music station WMZQ-FM. In 1969 and 1970, he created a series of nationally syndicated public service radio programs for the Marine Corps. He also hosted two one-hour shortwave radio programs for Voice of America. He had also been a ring announcer for wrestling and boxing matches - including several Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard championship fights - as well as figure skating championships.

His marriages to Charlotte Eisen and Diane Strichartz ended in divorce.

Survivors include his wife, Lynn Brooks of Silver Spring; two children from his second marriage, Jodi Brooks of Virginia Beach and Alexander Brooks of Silver Spring; two stepchildren, Mallorie David and Brett David, both of Silver Spring; and a grandson. James B. Leonard Sr. Clerical Assistant". [1]