ROBERT R. MARTIN JR.
Nov. 18, 1943- June 30, 2009
MOUNT OLIVE -- Robert "Bob" Reaves Martin Jr. died Tuesday at Mitchell County Hospital in Camilla, Ga.
Funeral services will be held Friday at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Jamerson-Braswell Funeral Home in Pelham, Ga. A second service will be held Monday at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Mount Olive, with the Rev. Dr. Dennis Atwood, pastor of First Baptist Church, and the Rev. Dr. W. Burkette Raper, president emeritus of Mount Olive College, officiating. Interment will follow in Martin-Price Cemetery on Highway 55 west of Mount Olive.
Mr. Martin was a native of Wayne County and lived in Pelham, Ga., for more than 30 years.
He was the son of Lorelle Franck Martin and the late Robert R. Martin Sr.
He graduated from Mount Olive High School with honors and received a Bachelor of Science degree in textile management from Georgia Institute of Technology.
An active member of Hand Memorial United Methodist Church in Pelham, he was also a Rotarian and recipient of a Paul Harris Fellow Award. He was employed with Coates and Clark Inc. as plant manager of the Pelham plant from 1969 until his retirement in 1998.
He spearheaded the "Read to Succeed" program at Pelham Elementary School, sponsored by the Pelham Rotary Club and Coates and Clark, using the model of the Mount Olive Chamber of Commerce "Read to Succeed" program, which his mother began at Carver Elementary School in Mount Olive in the early 1990s.
In 1974/75, Mr. Martin was named Outstanding Textile Vocational Teacher by the Textile Education Foundation at Georgia Tech while teaching continuing education courses in textile mathematics, conference leadership, waste control and wage incentive. Also, he received the Governor's Gold Award for Workplace Learning for promoting literacy and continuing education.
He enjoyed life to the fullest with his wife, Merle, his family and many friends. As a gardener, he enjoyed canning and preserving his produce. He was known for his culinary expertise, which was enjoyed by small and large groups. In addition, he was an avid reader and lover of animals and enjoyed fishing, woodworking and collecting model planes, cars and trains.
Along with his mother, he is survived by his wife, Merle; a sister, Dr. Virginia L. Martin of Mount Olive; a stepson, Earl Williams of Poulan, Ga.; four stepgrandchildren, Wesley Williams and Matthew Williams both of Poulan, Ga., Angel Hope Williams of Pelham, Ga., and Lekisha Ray of Tifton, Ga.; and one stepgreat-grandchild, Seth Golding of Tifton, Ga.
A stepson, Tony Williams, preceded him in death.
The family will receive friends at the Martin homeplace, 219 Harrelll's Hill Road, Mount Olive, Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m., and also at other times.
In lieu of flowers, it is the wish of the family that memorial contributions be made to the Robert R. Martin Local Missions Foundation, c/o First Baptist Church, P. O. Box 239, Mount Olive, NC, 28365; the Lorelle F. and Robert R. Martin Endowment, c/o Mount Olive College, 644 Henderson St., Mount Olive, NC, 28365; or the charity of one's choice.
Tyndall Funeral Home of Mount Olive is serving the family.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on July 2, 2009 1:47 PM