Charles David Marx, age 86, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and Monmouth County, died peacefully April 1, 2022, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. On his final day, he was surrounded by his wife, family, his beloved dog Moxie and his caregivers at NHC Healthcare in Bluffton, South Carolina.
Charles was born March 17, 1936, to Charlene and David Marx and lived at Chal-Mar Farm in Shrewsbury. He loved celebrating his birthday – along with St. Patrick’s Day – with family and friends and entertaining many with his great sense of humor and leprechaun wit.
He graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 1955 and attended Rutgers University prior to joining the Louis Marx & Company, the world’s largest toy manufacturer founded by his father and uncle, David and Louis Marx, in 1919. He was passionate about his job and his buyer relationships from Sears Roebuck, F.W Woolworth and J.C. Penney. Many of these relationships turned into longstanding personal friendships. Later, he became director of marketing and was responsible for creating the “Magic Marxie” logo which appeared in television advertising for best-selling items like the “Big-Wheel.”
Charles married Doree Lee Meeker of Washington, D.C. and lived in Monmouth County for 58 years before retiring to Hilton Head Island in 2015.
Charles was a longtime member at Rumson Country Club, Sea Bright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club and Sea Bright Beach Club. Whether it was sailing his Rhodes 19 at Rumson Country Club or attending the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Maine, Charles loved the outdoors and the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers waterways. Most of all, Charles loved spending time with family and many friends.
He is survived by his loving wife Doree of 64 years and their five children and spouses: Margaret McGarty and Michael McGarty of Providence, Rhode Island; C. David Marx Jr. of Highlands; Christopher Marx and Betsy Gorman Marx of Red Bank; Andrew Marx of Vero Beach, Florida; and Alexander Marx and Alexandra Davidson Marx of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He is also survived by his three sisters: Marlene Twaddell of Providence, Rhode Island; Pamela Loxton of Red Bank; and Clara and her husband John Dale of Locust; and 10 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
A mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated privately. In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to Palmetto Animal League, 56 Riverwalk Blvd., Okatie, SC 29936, 843-645-1725, palmettoanimalleague.org.
The article originally appeared in the July 21 – 27, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
