Milton Marks III ’81 died on August 9, 2012, in San Francisco, California. 

(The following was published in the San Francisco Chronicle from August 11 to August 12, 2012):

Milton Marks III, longtime member of the board of trustees of the City College of San Francisco, passed away, surrounded by his wife and family, after a long fight with glioblastoma, on August 9, at the age of 52. Milton is survived by his loving and extraordinary wife and partner Abigail Levinson Marks and three wonderful young boys, Nathan, Will and Theo; his sister Caro Marks, his brother David Marks, and nephews and niece Benjamin, Samuel, Jackson, and Zoe Marks, Meyer and Ari Levinson-Blount. He had a wide and admiring circle of friends and colleagues.

Milton was the son of the late Milton and Carolene Wachenheimer Marks, who were both extremely involved in politics: his father was a California assemblyman, Judge and State Senator and his mother served on the Commission for the Status of Women.

Born in San Francisco, and educated at Bowdoin College and the University of Pennsylvania (where he earned a Masters in Preservation of Historical Buildings), Milton’s career was dedicated to public service organizations. He served as Executive Director of Friends of the Urban Forest, Urban Creeks Council and Congregation Kol Shofar. He was first elected to City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees in 2000 and reelected in 2004 and 2008. He served as President, Vice-President, Chair, Planning & Budgeting Committee, Chair, Education Committee, Member, Finance Committee, and Member, Chancellor Search Committee. While at City College, Milton advocated tirelessly for honesty and transparency on the Board, challenging the administration to put in place appropriate checks and balances.

Milton was a member of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, and past president of the Wallenberg Club.

Milton will always be remembered as a person devoted to his principles and to his sense of justice. While at Bowdoin, he was part of a group that resigned from his fraternity when it refused to admit women. He was especially passionate about issues of inequity, the environment, and access to quality education and health care. He was a creative, loving, playful, and devoted father to his three boys.

Milton had the special gift of being a lifelong friend to so many, and a protector of those with less of a voice, voters, children, and family.

He will be missed.