Marvin Zindler

Anyone who has ever lived in or been to the Houston area for an extended period of time is probably familiar with the phrase, "MAAAAAARRRVIN ZINDLER, EYEWITNESS NEWS!" Marvin used these words to end each piece that he did: ones where he helped those with less money get the health care they needed, those with softer voices get the services they deserved.
And when he wasn't out there directly helping the little people, he was constantly getting on to restaurants about sanitary issues. So much in fact, that he had his own dirty restaurant jingle: "And now, and now, and now, and now for the big big big big big big S - He said slime in the ice machine!"
Marvin Zindler was one of those guys who, although in his 80's, you never thought could die. He was bigger than life, bigger than death. But he passed away yesterday, 7/29/07, after losing the battle to pancreatic cancer. They say he worked until his very last day, trying to help others with every ounce of fight he had in him.
Marvin Zindler was one of my heroes. He was a daily reminder that there are still people out there, willing to fight for those in need, willing to take on corporate giants to make sure the little guy doesn't get trampled.
I'll miss those words that I heard nightly for as long as I can remember. The ones that meant another person had been helped. The ones that had become so familiar to me and so many other Houstonians: "MAAAAAAARRRVIN ZINDLER, EYEWITNESS NEWS!"