Marc Lusskin passed away suddenly in Northampton on Monday, October 28, 2024, at age 73. Born in Englewood, NJ, on July 25, 1951 to Robert M. Lusskin and Ivy M. (Lehne) Lusskin, Marc bravely overcame challenges and lived a long, active life in locations across the country, including New Jersey, Wisconsin, California, Alaska, Missouri, and Massachusetts.
Marc was highly intelligent and had a lifelong passion for cars. At age 14, with help from his dad, Marc restored a Morris Minor; it ran, even though he could only drive it around the front lawn, to his mother’s horror. He then assembled an entire car—a 1965 Shelby Cobra--from a kit, a project that occupied their entire garage for over a year. Later on, he used his gift of gab to talk car dealers into letting him test-drive Lamborghinis and Ferraris. And he joined his friend Jay to drive the 1,000-mile stretch of Baja California in a Jeep, before there was a paved road.
From 1969 to 1971, Marc was enrolled at UCal Berkeley. He became a true California guy, learning to surf and listening to the Beach Boys. Amid the political furor and social change of that period, Marc discovered his love of books, poetry, photography and film. He read the Beat poets and “On the Road,” searching for his own identity and living in the present, much the same way Jack Kerouac’s characters did. He stopped into a club one night and sat in front of a lone Jerry Garcia as he played guitar, and he attended the fateful concert at Altamont.
In 1972, at age 20, Marc experienced a breakdown due to schizophrenia, a chronic mental illness that he would grapple with for the rest of his life. He moved restlessly from state to state, job to job, and college to college, but was never able to function effectively as a student or employee from that point on. Despite his illness and early hospitalizations, he benefited slightly from medications and continued “on the road” throughout the U.S., trying as many different life experiences as possible, from salmon fishing in Alaska to film production, hiking, and camping.
In the late 1980’s, Marc finally settled into life with his parents, who took excellent care of him, helped him patiently through his crises, and finally found the combination of psychiatric drugs that would help Marc live a more settled life. The drugs, experimental in the 1990’s and widely used now, literally saved Marc’s life; they “quieted” the voices he heard so he could care for himself more easily, pursue many different hobbies, and enjoy socializing with others.
Marc and his mother, Ivy, settled in Easthampton in 2010. Marc volunteered to produce videos for Easthampton Media and joined the local chapter of MENSA. He enjoyed performing karaoke and having an iced coffee or Coke at his favorite eating spots. He became a friend to wait staff and “regulars,” whom he entertained with funny stories about his life and goofy Halloween costumes (costumes that he would begin to plan for starting in July each year). He especially loved Amy’s Place, Whiskers, and the Brass Cat in Easthampton, and the World War II Club, Bluebonnet Diner, Miss Florence Diner, and Fitzwilly’s in Northampton. He went camping and hiking at the DAR State Forest in Goshen, where he would try out his latest fancy camping equipment and don a wetsuit to explore the lake. And he also carried out his family role as “Chef Marc,” watching cooking shows (his favorite chef was the Pioneer Woman), purchasing an array of kitchen appliances, and replicating his favorite recipes.
After Ivy passed away in 2022, Marc lived independently in a Northampton condo. He was friends with many of his neighbors and loved owning and driving his 2011 BMW 530, until he lost his driver’s license due to recent symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Marc leaves behind his sister, Jean Lusskin, and her wife, Fran Fahey, of Easthampton, as well as many well-loved cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends throughout the country. He was interred at Brookside Cemetery in Easthampton.
Jean and Fran wish to thank Valley Medical Group, CareOne at Northampton, Cooley Dickinson Health Care, Hampshire Neurology, and all the other providers who helped care for Marc, especially over the past few difficult months while he coped with Parkinson’s. They also send their warm regards to the owners, staff, and regular customers of Amy’s Bar and Grille in Easthampton, who created a loving neighborhood family for Marc for so many years. Friends and family are encouraged to make a donation in Marc’s memory to the Parkinson’s Foundation or their local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (www.nami.org).
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