Obituary of Donald Lee Marbry

Dr. Donald Lee Marbry died Monday at home with loving family by his side. He was born in Badin, North Carolina in 1932. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Frank and Lois Marbry, and his first wife, Mary Lane Marbry, who passed away in 1977 after a long illness.  

Don was a graduate of the University of North Carolina, where he was a four year letterman in baseball, mainly as a pitcher. He loved and played all sports at some level, and he was the most diehard Tar Heel fan one could imagine.

He earned a degree in Business Administration at UNC in 1954, then served in the US Army Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) as a Special Agent for three years and served in the Far East during the end of the Korean War. 

After his military service, he returned to UNC and earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1962. Don practiced dentistry in Charlotte before again returning to UNC in 1968, where he earned a Masters of Public Health degree in Oral Medicine and Epidemiology. He joined the UNC School of Dentistry faculty and served as a professor, director, and lecturer for over 40 years before fully retiring in 2010. 

Don and his wife Sue were longtime members of University United Methodist Church, and Don loved his men’s Bible study group. He was a proud member of the Carolina Baseball Old Leagers Club.

Don is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Sue Hoenig Marbry; a son, Gary Marbry, his wife Delaine, and their sons Michael (Anna) and Trevor (Lauren); a daughter, Darian Poliachik, her husband Bob, and their children Justin (Emily), Kasey (Zach), and Shelby (Jacob); a stepdaughter, Toni Umstead, her husband John, and their children Devon (Clate), Chloë, and John Wesley (Kristen); and a stepson, Mark Hoenig, his wife Barbara, and their sons Christopher (Rachel) and Brian (Kristin); and 11 great-grandchildren.

A Memorial service for Don will be held on Saturday, January 25 at 11:00 AM in the auditorium at Carolina Meadows.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Don's beloved Carolina Baseball program, or your choice of organization.