In Memoriam

Herbert John Marx
1932-2026

COOPERSTOWN—Herbert John Marx died on March 18, 2026 at the age of 93 in Cooperstown, New York, the village where he made his home over the course of nearly six decades. He is survived by his spouse, Mary–a nurse, educator, and small businesswoman–and by his three children–John, Katherine, and Ken.

Herb Marx was born and raised in Queens, New York during the Great Depression by John William Marx and Maria Sophia Wilhelmina Ney Marx, both of whom had recently emigrated from Germany. He was educated at Andrew Jackson High School in New York, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he and Mary met in an elevator.

He worked as a cardiologist, first at the University of Rochester Medical Center, before moving to Cooperstown and joining the medical staff at Bassett Medical Center in 1971 as an attending physician and its first cardiologist. His contributions included educating several generations of doctors-in-training, an effort he continued deep into his retirement, teaching physicians how to read electrocardiograms and thus diagnose heart conditions.

He was a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Physicians. He was elected to the ACC Board of Governors as governor for Upstate New York and served as president of the AHA New York State Affiliate and its Central New York Chapter.

Herb Marx’s service to the community was focused on the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown, where he participated as a deacon, among other roles. He chaired the Cooperstown Ecumenical (Church) Council. He was also a long-standing volunteer and member of the Board of Directors of the Otsego County Conservation Association.

He was a fan and player of tennis, frequenting courts across town, and table tennis during the offseason. Given his interest in tennis and sustainability, it is perhaps not surprising that he helped facilitate the recycling of tennis balls in Otsego County.

In the village, Herb Marx was a familiar sight riding his bike to and from work at the hospital, going for jogs out Lake Street north onto State Highway 80, and walking across town to his favorite view of Lake Otsego from the top of the stairs at Council Rock Park. He will be remembered by all for his winning grin. He was beloved by his daughters-in-law, who knew him simply as “Darb.”

In his wallet, Herb carried this quote by Thomas Henry Huxley: “Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the things you have to do when they ought to be done, whether you like it or not.”

Memorial donations can be made in Herb Marx’s name and sent to the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown, 25 Church Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326 or via the church’s website: https://www.cooppres.org/donate.