Just a side note, I did not grow up in the Houston area, so my first encounter with Marvin in public was truly memorable.I went to work at KTRK in late 2004. I came from KFOR in Oklahoma City and when I announced I was leaving to go work for Eyewitness News, several co-workers that grew up in Houston went on and on about his Marvin Zindler guy. Of course, I just assumed he was a long-time anchor.
My first day at the station and I'm making my rounds, meeting everyone in the building. We stroll into Marvin's office and there is this guy in a white suite, white wig and blue glasses. He was very soft-spoken and told me welcome to the station, it was very nice to meet you. I just stared and thought to myself, "Is this the same guy people in Oklahoma City were going on and on about?"
I'm at the station about a month and he invites me to go to lunch. Mind you, I still had no idea of Marvin Zindler's true star power. Marvin's driving down Westheimer and we're stopped at the light on Post Oak near the Galleria. A man looks over and his eyes almost pop out of his head...the guy throws his car in park and runs over to the window and starts knocking. By this time, I'm speechless and scared to death. He's screaming, "Marvin Zindler! Marvin Zindler!"
Marvin calmly rolls down the window, shakes the man's hand (we're holding up traffic) and talks to him for a moment. I'd never seen anything like that before. Someone the other day said that we lost Houston's Elvis. Marvin Zindler...the man with the biggest heart ever. He'll be deeply missed and Channel 13 will never be the same.
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