Born 1921 in Southern Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe) Marvyn Hatchuel was educated in Paris, London and Johannesburg. He qualified as a pharmacist and owned pharmacies in Johannesburg and Rhodesia for over 40 years. He served in the Rhodesian Forces seconded to the RAF. In 1953 he married Aliza Hatchwell in Ramat Gan in Israel. Marvyn was an active Zionist and ex-President of C.A.Z.O. (Central African Zionist Organization) before coming to live in Israel in 1987. He is an Ex Executive Member of Telfed (South African Zionist Federation in Israel). His two daughters, Dina and Ruth, are both active in communal affairs in the USA. He has three grandchildren.