Marvin Ireland, 96, of Richland Hills, Texas, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2018. Services will be held Friday, March 30, 2018, at Hampton Vaughan-Crestview Chapel with burial following at Crestview Memorial Park. Visitation will be held at 10:00 AM and the service will begin at 11:00 AM.

Marvin Ireland was born on August 23, 1921 to Dee and Amanda Ireland in Wichita Falls, Texas, the youngest of their 6 children.  He graduated from Wichita Falls High School.  Marvin met Maxine Crump at a church function when she was 14 and he was 17. They married on August 29, 1942.

On September 3, 1942, he was inducted into the US Coast Guard. His job was to guard the U S from the Nazi U-boats. He did this on horseback along the coastline  in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.  Some of his service was as the cook on patrol boats along the coastline.  Maxine moved with him for this huge adventure.

They returned to Wichita Falls and had two sons, Ed and Richard.

Marvin worked at Ireland's Grocery and then at the Ireland Chili Company, where he made the chili. When the company was sold to Ranch Style foods in the 1960's, Marvin opened a Youngblood's Fried Chicken franchise, then a barbeque restaurant in downtown Wichita Falls. In 1967 Marvin  and  Maxine opened Maxine's Dress Shop. He was  the buyer and he built a frilly pink dress shop in their backyard on Pasadena Street. After they closed the dress shop, he built an early food truck that they took to auctions with his famous barbeque. Well into his 80s he was buying, restoring and selling restaurant equipment.

Marvin was a lifelong member of The Assembly of God.

Marvin is mourned by his son, Ed Ireland and wife Carolyn, of North Richland Hills, Tx., his grandchildren, Jeff Ireland and wife Alden,  great grandchildren, Andrew and Belle,also of NRH, grandson David Ireland and wife Heather, great grandsons  Caleb Pardue and Maddox, of McKinney, Tx,  grandson Brandon and wife Andrea of Wichita Falls, granddaughter Amanda Pozun and husband, Roger, great grandchildren Alyssa, Madison and Sylas, of Fort Worth, and Debbie McMillan as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by Maxine, Richard, and great granddaughter, Emma Ireland.