It is a measure of the importance and profundity of Marvin Kenneth Simon's contributions to communication theory that this tribute article and tutorial about his life and work is of current research relevance in spite of the continually accelerating rate of evolution in this area. Marv, as the entire community affectionately knew him, was one of the most prolific and influential communications researchers of his generation. Moreover, he laid the foundation for many of the techniques used in communication systems today. Marv's tragic death on September 23, 2007 continues to engender pangs not only of sadness at the passing of a great friend to many in our community, but also of regret that he is no longer with us to help in resolving the many challenges facing communication systems today.