John L. Marion

John Louis Marion, 92, former President and Chairman of Sotheby’s, renowned auctioneer, and philanthropist, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on May 6, 2026.

John was born in Gardiner, NY on November 27,1933 to Louis John and Florence (Bess) Winters Marion. He attended Iona High School and Fordham University, graduating with a degree in sociology and did graduate coursework at Columbia University.

John married his soulmate Anne Windfohr Marion in 1988, and they were happily married until her passing in 2020. He was previously married to Mary Anne Marion (1938-2016) with whom he had his four children: John Marion Jr. (Andrea), Debbie Murray (Mike), Teri Marion and Michelle Marion (Ramin) as well as one stepdaughter Windi Grimes (David), whom he loved as his own. He was also the proud grandfather to eight grandchildren, Schyler, Ryan and Peyton Murray; Jack and Winnie Marion; Sophie and Olivia Thompson, and Hallie Grimes. He was a kid at heart and loved sharing his various toys with his children and grandchildren. He also loved his dogs and had many over the years including Kelly, Pepper, Lulu, Ginger I and Ginger II.

After school he joined the U.S. Navy OCS in Newport, RI as well as his deployment to Guam where he ran the Officers Club, a job uniquely suited to him.

Following his time in the Navy, John joined Sotheby’s in 1960 as a trainee. He followed his father, Louis J. Marion into the art world, with both serving as head auctioneers at Sotheby’s Parke Bernet. Over the course of more than three decades, John helped to transform the auction house into a global force in the art market. He became Head Auctioneer and President in 1972 and Chairman in 1975, leading Sotheby’s through a defining period of growth, international expansion, and market leadership. John was also deeply identified with Sotheby’s expansion in the United States following the acquisition of Parke-Bernet. At Sotheby’s he was surrounded by a group of talented and cherished colleagues.

John presided over many of the landmark moments that shaped the modern auction world. Under his leadership, Sotheby’s achieved record-setting sales and handled some of the most important works and collections of the twentieth century, including: The Garbisch Collection, The Havemeyer Collection, The Greta Garbo Collection, The Andy Warhol Collection, and The Jewels of The Duchess of Windsor. Significant works of art included: Vincent van Gogh’s Irises, Auguste Renoir’s Au Moulin de la Gallette, Pablo Picasso’s Yo, Picasso and Au Lapin Agile, The Hope Diamond, and major works by Willem de Kooning and Jasper Johns. He helped elevate the evening sale into a global cultural event and was instrumental in establishing Sotheby’s preeminence in the market for Impressionist, Modern, and Contemporary Art. In 1979 he sold Frederic Edwin Church’s The Iceberg breaking the auction record previously held by his father for the 1961 sale of Rembrandt’s Aristotle contemplating the Bust of Homer which hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

John and Anne had a wonderful life together, sharing many joint interests and passions. They traveled the world where he notably journaled every day and documented each meal. They fostered many charitable projects together, including several art institutions, most notably the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, and Site Santa Fe. John and Anne were also active with the Modern Museum in Fort Worth and the Kimbell Art Museum. John adored Anne and they enjoyed time together in Fort Worth, Palm Desert, Guthrie, Santa Fe, Montana, and Jackson Hole. He missed her every day since her passing. He also sponsored a scholarship at his alma mater, Fordham University, and was active with the College of Santa Fe.

John had a passion for life and lived it to the fullest. He loved all sports but especially watching and playing baseball, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was also a lifelong New York Giants fan, holding season tickets for most of his life and was infamous for his parking lot tailgates. He was an avid golfer, bird hunter, and fly fisherman. From golf trips around the world with great friends to tending his peonies and vegetables, and cooking gourmet meals, John did everything with gusto.

He loved spending time at the 6666 Ranch in Guthrie, TX, and was responsible for “getting” the Thanksgiving turkey for many years, a job he relished. His greatest passion was fly fishing, and he enjoyed many hours on the rivers in Montana and Wyoming. He will be missed for his positivity, quick wit, integrity and honesty, wisdom, ability to connect with people, keen ability to close a sale, and his love of life.

John was predeceased by his parents Louis and Florence Marion, his brother Louis Marion, his wife Anne Marion, and his daughter Teri Marion and is survived by his remaining children and grandchildren, who will miss him dearly.

We would like to thank his many caregivers and doctors, especially over the last several years who showed him such love, dedication and loyalty. They made a tremendous difference in his quality of life.

There will be a visitation on Sunday evening, May 31st (the time and location to be announced) and a service will be held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 1206 Throckmorton Street, Fort Worth, Texas on Monday, June 1st, 2026, at 1:30 PM.   A celebration of life will be held in New York at a later date.   Donations can be made to any charitable organization mentioned above in his name.