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January 30, 2004
"He's my hero," says mother
Hundreds of people around the world grieve the death of Marc Rozen.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
Jack and Doreen Rozen sat at the kitchen table of their West Vancouver
home surrounded by a stack of letters from friends and strangers
who knew their son Marc, who was murdered Jan. 6 in a suspected
robbery. They sat together, staring into old family pictures, hoping
to control their emotions enough to share the life and spirit of
their son with the rest of the world.
"Jack and I both agreed that we would do anything that we could
to let the community know who Marc was," said Doreen.
And with that, Jack began to speak freely about Marc, the son he
sometimes called "sweetheart."
"He would trust everybody and he thought that everybody was
decent," he said. "He did not see people for what they
were, he wanted to see people for what they could be."
Jack explained how Marc's spirit and appreciation for life allowed
him to touch just about everyone he came into contact with. However,
it also got him into trouble.
"The difficulty I had with Marc was that he was extremely bright,
but he wasn't street smart," said Jack. "We worried for
him."
As feared, it was Marc's inability to accept the potential of evil
in people that inevitably led to his demise. Marc, 38, was fatally
beaten Jan. 6 by a stranger Marc had welcomed into his 11th floor
apartment. The murderer was responding to a classified ad Marc had
listed for a diamond engagement ring he wanted to sell.
Marc's death leaves family and hundreds of friends grieving over
a man who embraced life in a way to which few could relate. Jack
told story after story of the unique relationships Marc would take
up with anyone who seemed to need even just a little help. Marc
coached school basketball teams, gave time to disadvantaged youth
or took homeless people, who he'd gotten to know on a first-name
basis, out to lunch.
One of the notes on the Rozens' table was a letter from an aspiring
actor who moved from New York to Vancouver a few months ago to pursue
his career. He contacted Marc in response to another classified
ad for an apartment rental. Marc informed the actor that his plans
had changed and he decided to keep the apartment, but not without
insisting on helping the actor find a place of his own. Marc followed
up with names and contact information about several local film industry
professionals he knew. Marc was soon showing his new friend around
Vancouver, taking him shopping and even lending him his car.
Raised in West Vancouver, Marc graduated from Hillside secondary
school, where he was the home-coming king. He completed a history
and psychology degree at the University of British Columbia before
earning a law degree from St. Louis University in Missouri. He practised
law in Los Angeles, then in Bellingham, where he could be closer
to his family and friends in Vancouver.
Five years ago, Marc told his dad that he wanted to stop practising
law.
"I looked at him and said, 'Marc, are you out of your mind?,'
" Jack recalled. "I'll never forget his response. He said,
'Dad, I don't see life the way you do. I don't take it as seriously
as you do.' "
Marc travelled the world, including spending several months in Israel,
where he immersed himself in Judaism. He also spent time studying
Buddhist traditions and spirituality. It was during his travels
that Marc connected with many of the people who have contacted the
Rozens since hearing of the attack.
"As much as my wife and I know our son, he touched so many
other people who we didn't even know about," Jack said. "We
have been blown away by how many people have come forward to thank
us for how my son touched their lives."
Jack said they even received a call from a woman in India who couldn't
hold back her tears when Jack picked up the phone.
"I have learned in the past two weeks that, while he was our
son, he was a lot of other people's as well. He shared himself."
Once back in Vancouver, Marc ultimately decided that his calling
was in working with youth. He recently worked at the Maples Adolescent
Treatment Centre, a provincial mental health treatment centre in
Burnaby.
"Marc was very interested in the well-being of disadvantaged
youth," said Doreen. "Not in doing [things] for them,
but seeing that they become self-empowered. He would work with them
in such a way that they could use their inner strengths and resources
so that they could be survivors.
"I wish I could have been 1/100th of the person he was,"
she continued, fighting back tears with every word. "I admire
everything that he became and the value system that he had. It was
the most beautiful thing. I was extremely proud of him and how he
contributed to the world. He's my hero."
Unfortunately for Jack, the loss of his son brings back a sense
of evil he hasn't experienced – and which he hoped he would
never feel again – since surviving the Holocaust as a young
child.
"For many survivors, we want to show the world that we are
here, we are happy and we have families," Jack said while holding
his head in his hands. "He was my future. He was my replacement
for what I'd lost in the war. The evil got me twice."
Doreen brought a piece of paper to the table that featured a quote
from world-renowned author Arundhati Roy. Doreen said that this
quote was something Marc had shown them once before. It was how
he strived to live his life.
"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance.
To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity
of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue
beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate
what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to
watch. To try and understand. To never look away and never, never
to forget."
As of press time, the Vancouver police were looking for three suspects
potentially involved in Marc's murder. They would have been seen
walking in and out of his building between noon and 2 p.m. in the
1800-block of Haro Street in the West End. Anyone with any information
about this crime should contact the police major crimes unit at
604-717-2500 or, anonymously, CrimeStoppers at 800-222-8477.
The Rozens have set up two funds in Marc's honor. The first is the
Marc Rozen Memorial Fund, which will go to disadvantaged youth.
Donations can be sent to #603-1233 Beach Ave., Vancouver, V6E 1V4.
The second is the Marc Rozen Scholarship Fund for the North Shore
Hebrew School. Donations can be made by calling the Jewish Community
Foundation at 604-257-5100.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
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