IN MEMORY OF MARVIN JARMAN
January 13, 1947 – February 18, 2024
Marvin Jarman was born in Sterling, Colorado and spent a good part of his early life there. In the 1950s Marvin moved to Beaufort County for a time before eventually relocating with his family to Greenville.
When Marvin reached high school age he attended J.H. Rose High School on Elm Street. While in high school Marvin intently followed the fortunes of the Rose football, basketball and yes the Rose baseball teams. When Marvin graduated in 1969 he was voted as Rose High’s “Mr. School Spirit”.
In August of 1969 Greenville’s new Recreation and Parks Director Boyd Lee made Marvin the first person he ever hired to work for the department. After a day of trying different jobs within the Parks Division it was decided that the perfect job for Marvin was to keep Elm Street Park free of trash. Marvin’s typical work hours of 8am-noon allowed him to work in the mornings and attend practices and games for the Rose High teams in the afternoons and evenings. For over 40 years Marvin faithfully kept Elm Street Park in immaculate condition while rarely missing a day of work.
Marvin was always able to combine work with enjoying the people who spent their mornings at the park. Whether it be a jogger along the Greenway or a mother with a youngster enjoying the playground Marvin always asked “how ya doing today?” If Marvin met a college student he always wanted to know “What high school did you go to?” If he encountered an acquaintance from Greenville it was always “How’s your mama?” (and he wasn’t just asking that question to be nice, he really wanted to know). On the frequent occasion when the mother of a newborn would be walking through the park Marvin always took the time to stop, look the baby in the eye, and say “welcome to the world”. This simple statement, coming from Marvin, made the baby a true citizen of Greenville.
Marvin’s summertime duties often included being the umpire in RV camp. Marvin was always decisive on the routine calls but all of the kids knew if the play was close whichever team yelled the loudest got the call to go in their direction. The one exception to this was of course when lunch time was near as Marvin made any close play an out to end the game and get him to lunch quicker.
Marvin was also an intense supporter of Greenville Little League. He loved following all of the teams, most especially though the Jarman Auto Sales teams that his brother Grant sponsored and his nephew Eric managed. There were many nights Marvin would start off at the Perkins Complex and then catch a ride to Elm Street for the night game. At the end of the night Marvin would maneuver himself into a conspicuous position near the bottom of the stairs leading to the parking lot and patiently wait for one of the player’s parents to offer him a ride home. While Marvin was definitely Jarman Auto Sales’ number one fan, he loved and supported all of the teams, both regular season and all star, that make up Greenville Little League.
After he retired Marvin continued to spend time at Elm Street Park. He kept his keys and maintained a desk inside the Elm Street Center. On that desk he kept a variety of high school sports publications which he studied nearly every day. On weekends Marvin enjoyed coming to the park and watching sports on television along with taking long golf cart rides in the areas surrounding Elm Street Park. On those rides he would always encounter random people he knew. Sometimes they were people from his past, sometimes they were people who he saw nearly every day. No matter who it was he so enjoyed interacting with them. On weekdays, between walks on the Greenway Marvin enjoyed watching the Lone Ranger and Perry Mason on television in the Elm Street Center. He occupied his time with these activities before RV picked him up to take him to a Rose sports practice or to a game at Guy Smith Stadium.
Marvin Jarman spent a large part of his life in this little area of Elm Street at the old Rose High School (across the street) or right here at Elm Street Park. So much of the reason this little part of Greenville is so special is because of the time Marvin Jarman spent here.
RONALD VINCENT “RV”
Ronald Vincent was born in 1947 and has lived his whole life in Greenville. Growing up on 14th Street, just several hundred feet from here, Ronald had everything he needed within a mile or two of his childhood home, East Carolina University athletics, JH Rose athletics, and of course spending time with his buddies playing ball here at Elm Street Park. These activities consumed much of his time as a youngster.
RV played for the Jaycees team in Greenville Little League from 1956-1959. During these preteen years he not only was a baseball player he was on his way to being a good football player as well. After playing baseball and football at Rose High School Ronald graduated in 1965 and signed on to play football at ECU.
After graduating from ECU in 1969 RV began his time as a Greenville Little League manager. Though he was only 10 or 12 years older than the players he was coaching he had a lot of success. His time as a Little League manager peaked in 1970 as he led his Tar Heel League team to the State Championship while only 23 years old.
From 1969-1972 Coach Vincent coached at Farmville Central High School. He was then offered the opportunity to come home and coach football and baseball at his alma mater, Rose High School. RV was an assistant football coach for more than 30 years and has been the head baseball coach for more than 50 years. He has also helped occasionally with coaching basketball and wrestling. While successful at whatever sport he was coaching Coach Vincent’s true calling was serving as Rose’s head baseball coach. During his over 50 seasons at the helm of the Rose baseball program RV has compiled over 1,000 wins and several State Championships.
All of this though is just the beginning of RV’s story. During high school he met Marvin Jarman and the two became lifelong friends. Whether Coach Vincent was coaching, attending games at ECU or anything else for that matter, Marvin was never far behind. RV made sure that if Rose had a ballgame that he would either get Marvin there or make sure he had a way to get there. So much of his time in Marvin’s later years was spent making sure Marvin got to lunch, practice and to Rose High for whatever game was going on that evening. Winning games and winning championships is something that Coach Vincent has always loved to do. So much of the enjoyment RV got from winning championships though was the joy that it brought to Marvin. Ronald always knew he and his team had done good when he looked at Marvin and got that patented fist pump that Marvin only gave after something good had happened for the Rose High Rampants. This friendship, which began at Guy Smith Stadium in the 1960s, continued here at Elm Street and all points in between until well into the 2000s.
Ronald Vincent Awards
2003 – NC Order of the Long Leaf Pine
2010 – Inducted into NC Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame
2013 – Selected as one of NCHSAA’s “100 Coaches to Remember”
2014 – Inducted into NCHSAA Hall of Fame
2024 – Inducted into NFHS National High School Hall of Fame