Dr. Marvin F Piburn Jr

Dr. Marvin F. Piburn Jr., a caring psychiatrist and devoted family man, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at the Cedar Valley Hospice House in Waterloo, Iowa, surrounded by his wife and friends. He was 76 years old.

Born on April 6, 1949, in Duluth, Minnesota, Marvin was the son of Dr. Marvin and Carolyn (Zelliot) Piburn Sr. His early childhood was spent in Africa, where his family served as missionaries when he was three years old. He attended Cranborne Boys High School in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, graduating at the age of 16. The family later moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, where he studied at Mesa Junior College in 1968 before earning his degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1970.

Marvin went on to graduate from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1974 and completed his residency there in 1977. He established a private psychiatric practice in Waterloo, Iowa, from 1976 to 1986. It was during this time that he met Marilyn Carlson; they married on September 5, 1981, at Kimball Avenue Methodist Church and welcomed their son, Luke.

Throughout his career, Marvin demonstrated deep commitment and leadership in mental health care. He worked with Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health from 1986 to 1994, practiced in Iowa Falls until 1997, and later served as Medical Director at Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health in Waterloo until 2014. On weekends, he provided care as a consultant at MHI and Bremwood in Waverly from 2000 to 2011, and in 2014 he became full-time Medical Director at Bremwood, continuing until his retirement in 2021.

Marvin found joy in movies, literature, and especially his Christian faith, which deepened in his later years through devoted reading of the Bible. He and Marilyn traveled to Hawaii many times together, and he participated in two missionary trips to Haiti. He also opened his home to several beloved cats—Freddy, Henry, Selah, Samuel, and Tabitha—who became cherished members of the family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Marvin and Carolyn Piburn Sr.; his sister, Susan Graham; his aunt, Dr. Eleanor Zelliot; his mother-in-law, Viola Carlson; and his brother-in-law, Robert Carlson.

Marvin is survived by his wife, Marilyn of Hudson, Iowa; his son Luke and daughter-in-law Emily Piburn of Waterloo, Iowa; his cherished grandson Thomas; his brother Don and sister-in-law Jo Piburn of Grand Junction, Colorado; his sister Carol and brother-in-law Sonny Thonen of Wichita, Kansas; his beloved feline companions; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family.