Necrology

Marc Samson Komisarow '78

Jul. 22, 1956-Dec. 29, 2022

Marc Samson Komisarow ’78 died on Dec. 29, 2022, in Atlanta. Born in Fort Wayne, Ind., on July 22, 1956, he was raised in Jacksonville, Fla., and Atlanta, and came to Hamilton from North Fulton (Ga.) High School. On the Hill, he majored in history and joined The Spectator, French Club, and Hillel. He formed close friendships with many of his classmates, connections he maintained for the rest of his life.

From Hamilton, Marc went to New Orleans to attend Tulane University Law School, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1981. During his legal studies he took up contract bridge, later rising to become a life master of the game and, reportedly, an opponent feared by many. His success led ultimately to his becoming a life member of the American Contract Bridge League.

Marc later headed to New Mexico, joining a law firm with offices in Santa Fe, where he began practicing, and in Albuquerque, to which he later relocated. He specialized in corporate and tax law. By the mid-1980s, he grew tired of this work and returned to Atlanta to determine his next step. He was drawn to the field of financial planning and started with the Partners Financial Group. He was ideally suited for the profession and derived much satisfaction helping his clients prepare for a financially secure retirement. 

In 1992, he married Brenda J. Mooney in Atlanta. They were initially active members of Congregation Shearith, a conservative synagogue in Atlanta, and later of Congregation Ariel, an orthodox synagogue in Dunwoody, Ga., where they lived. They also spent summers in their residence in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, N.C. Their marriage ended in 2022.

Outside of his financial work, Marc had varied interests. He cultivated old garden roses; collected pottery and art, including lithographs by Alexander Calder and Joan Miró; was a knitter; and oversaw renovations to his home. In 1992, he appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy! He was the only one to correctly answer the “Final Jeopardy” question but lost to returning co-champions. He loved Broadway musicals, especially those by Stephen Sondheim, and reportedly would break into song at the slightest provocation. He also knew how to prepare Shoney’s Big Boy’s secret sauce: his uncle owned a number of the franchise’s restaurants in Georgia, and, after working in one of them, Marc learned the undisclosed formula.

His dedication to Hamilton and his class is reflected in his quarter-century tenure as class correspondent. His reports were detailed and presented with humor. His last one appeared in the fall 2022 issue of Glade & Glen, which he prepared even as he was fighting the cancer that would take his life. He was also a member of his class committee and reunion gift committee, an Admission Office volunteer, and a Joel Bristol Associate.

Marc S. Komisarow is survived by his former wife, one brother, a niece, a nephew, a great-niece, and a great-nephew.

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