JULY 31, 1936 – AUGUST 1, 2022
Rodney Ray Martin
Rodney Ray “Rod” Martin passed away peacefully on August 1st, one day after his 86th birthday, surrounded by his wife Toy, family and his beloved dog Lady. Determined, he fought the twin curse of ALS and Alzheimers for over 6 years.
Rod was born July 31, 1936 in Wentworth, S.D., the 3rd of Gladys and Charles “Chick” Martin’s 3 sons. He loved to relish family and friends with stories of growing up with his 2 older brothers, Duane and Dale. In 1941, the family moved to Seattle, where Rod was raised and schooled. He attended Lincoln High and played Varsity Basketball. He then followed his brothers to the Univ. of Washington and graduated with a Civil Engineering degree.
The path of Rod’s life, at that point, was driven by 2 milestones. During his 2 year ROTC active duty obligation as an Army Officer, he met Sondra Toy Garlinghouse, who became the forever love of his life. The 2 of them married after a year’s courtship, and they experienced the life of young officer marrieds at Fort Knox, Kentucky for 8 years. They soon started their family with Jill, followed by Nancy, then Paul. Rod began his professional career in the Aerospace industry in Santa Maria, CA and was involved with the original moon launch. Being a dad and space engineer, he still found time to earn his MBA from UCSB.
The family returned to Seattle in 1975, Rod having accepted a position as Operations Manager at the Massart Co. where he oversaw all of the company’s construction projects throughout the Pacific N.W. and Alaska. Ultimately, Rod progressed into his own consulting business. From their home on the shore of Lake Sammamish, Rod & Toy raised their family, traveled extensively, and enjoyed life with their many friends.
In 1997, with their children having moved along in life, they made a choice to retire in the sun, and spent the next 19 years in Scottsdale, AZ. They chose their home on the fairway of the Pinnacle Peak Country Club, where Rod enjoyed an abundance of golf and a stint as the President of the Club. But there was always still ample time to travel the U.S.A, Europe, Africa, and especially Priest Lake, Idaho, always with Toy and often with family or friends. In 2016, Rod & Toy decided to return again to Seattle. Throughout his adult life, Rod volunteered his services to the likes of CASA and Big Brothers. His greatest joys were hiking Mt. Rainier, cooking, traveling the world, the U.W. Huskies, jogging, music, books, family and friends.
Rod is survived by his wife Toy of 62 years; his children Jill (Eddie) Fuchs, Nancy (Randy) Frye, Paul (Shelli) Martin; his brother Dale (Shirley) Martin; 5 grandchildren: Madeleine, Riley, Ryan, Darren, Mitchell: and 1 great grandchild Zion. A Celebration of Rod’s Life will be held on Sept. 17, 2022 at 1:00pm at the Overlake Golf and Country Club in Bellevue, WA.
GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!
The post first appeared on Barton Family Funeral Service.