Remembering Dr. Marvin Trammel

Sunrise: December 13, 1939 — Sunset: January 27, 2024

Dr. Marvin Trammel was born on December 13, 1939, to Millard Trammel, Jr. and Elizabeth Trammel. Dr. Trammel grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, with his brothers and sisters Barbara Jean Trammel, Millard Trammel, III, and Joyce Elizabeth Trammel.

He attended Sumner High School where he met the love of his life and future queen, Mrs. Erma Jean Johnson Trammel. They married in 1959 and were blessed with four children: Mark Christopher and his twin Vincent Patrick, who passed away in 2020, Kimberly Elise, and Karla Elaine Trammel.

Dr. Trammel enjoyed a stellar career as an educational leader, business executive, and entrepreneur. He earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Kansas University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from The University of Minnesota.

Dr. Trammel moved to Minneapolis in 1964 to teach English at Edison High School and quickly moved up the ranks as an assistant principal at North High School and as principal at Central High School before becoming an Area Superintendent of the Minneapolis Public School District, being selected for an Alfred North Whitehead Fellowship at Harvard University for Advanced Study in Education along the way.

After a successful career in education, Dr. Trammel successfully transitioned into corporate America and with both Pillsbury and General Mills, recruited and mentored countless young men and women in their professional and personal lives. He had time for everyone and always had the right perspective and advice for anyone seeking his guidance.

After retiring from the corporate world, Dr. Trammel served as the University of Minnesota Alumni president before being recruited as an executive leader at the nonprofit YMCA, an organization he truly loved.

After leaving the YMCA, and well past his retirement age, he went back to his first love and taught students in an alternative education program in the St. Paul Public School District.

He is survived by his wife Erma; their son Mark, wife Susan Trammel, and their children Samantha Imara and Mark Christopher, Jr.; daughter Kimberly Elise McCrary, husband George E. McCrary and granddaughters AjaBleu and Butterfly Oldham; daughter Karla and grandchildren Lyric Elizabeth and Marvin Linzy; and grandsons Jordan Marvin, wife Abby and great-granddaughter Evelyn; Matthew Vincent, wife Rachel and great-granddaughter Addison; and countless beloved nieces, nephews, and friends.

The funeral will take place on Monday, Feb. 5 at Lakewood Chapel, 3600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN. The visitation is at 10 a.m., the service is at 11 a.m., with the burial to follow.

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.