MARTIN, George E., age 96

Died: Sunday, March 20th, 2016

Memorial Service: will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eau Claire with the Reverend Jamie Brieske officiating

Interment: will be later this spring in Boerne, TX

In lieu of flowers, memorials requested to KAIROS prison ministry, Immanuel Lutheran Church, or First United Methodist Church of Boerne TX

George Edward Martin, born 2/20/1920 in Paterson, NJ, died 3/20/2016 in Eau Claire six years nearly to the hour after the death of his wife Virginia. The son of George and Clara Barow Martin, he moved to Houston TX at age 13 and graduated from Sam Houston High School and Rice University.

George earned a PhD in chemical engineering from the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton, WI. His studies there were interrupted by service as a naval radar officer during World War II. He married Virginia Ruth West, then a chemist he met at the Paper Institute, on 12/21/1946. His career in the paper industry spanned 40 years and 5 states. His last position, with Charles T. Main Engineering in Boston, saw him supervising installation of paper machines around the world.

George and Virginia retired to Boerne, TX in 1989. They were active for many years in the KAIROS prison ministry at Hondo and Huntsville prisons and in the Stephen ministry at First United Methodist Church of Boerne. They were long-time square dancers, and George was an avid golfer well into his eighties. Another passion the couple shared was windjammer cruising off the coast of Maine. They took an annual sailing cruise over Labor Day week for 26 years. George relocated to Eau Claire in 2010 after the loss of Virginia.

He is survived by children, Carolyn (Gerry) Keith of Lino Lakes, MN, Keith (Alison) Martin of Eau Claire, and Joanne (Charlie) Walden of Coppell, TX; grandchildren, Barbara (Josh) Bliss, Martin (Jenn) Keith, Nathan (Rachel) Martin, Laura Martin (Larry Wooten), Katelyn (Nick) Connizzo, Brenna (Ben) Dawson, and Phoebe Walden; and 11 great grandchildren.