DAVID MARTIN
Obituary
MARTIN--David Mackenzie,
Jr., died of cancer on August 17, 2016 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He died the same way he lived his life: with humility, decency and discretion. Dave was born in Flint, Michigan on March 13, 1937 to parents, David Mackenzie Martin, Sr. and Virginia Davison Martin, who, as part of an extended family, had deep and longtime ties to Flint. Dave was a 1956 graduate of Cranbrook and a 1961 graduate, Bachelors and Masters, of the University of Michigan where he lettered in Track & Field and was an All-American in the Steeplechase. After graduation from Michigan, while taking courses at UCLA, he began running with the Los Angeles Track Club under Hungarian coach Mihaly Igloi, with plans to compete in Europe. When his running career was cut short by a compound leg fracture, caused by an accidently errant discus tossed by the then world record holder in the discus throw, his biggest disappointment was the lost opportunity to bring his new wife, Nancy, to Europe on a "grand" tour while competing on the decidedly amateur European track circuit. Dave went on to coach at the high school and collegiate level before pursuing a career in hospital administration in Michigan and Rhode Island. He is survived by wife Nancy, brother Pit Martin, three children, including Christy (Sam), Matt, and Dave (Karen), and his favorite grandson, Nick. Despite his protests to the contrary, he was a dog lover, especially if they didn't board with him, and he had a soft spot for all the family dogs over the years including, most recently, Sadie and Charlie. For those interested, a donation in his memory can be made to The Horizons-Upward Bound program at Cranbrook Educational Community, a college-access program for Detroit students. Dave's high school teacher and track coach, Ben Snyder, founded the program fifty years ago.
Jr., died of cancer on August 17, 2016 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He died the same way he lived his life: with humility, decency and discretion. Dave was born in Flint, Michigan on March 13, 1937 to parents, David Mackenzie Martin, Sr. and Virginia Davison Martin, who, as part of an extended family, had deep and longtime ties to Flint. Dave was a 1956 graduate of Cranbrook and a 1961 graduate, Bachelors and Masters, of the University of Michigan where he lettered in Track & Field and was an All-American in the Steeplechase. After graduation from Michigan, while taking courses at UCLA, he began running with the Los Angeles Track Club under Hungarian coach Mihaly Igloi, with plans to compete in Europe. When his running career was cut short by a compound leg fracture, caused by an accidently errant discus tossed by the then world record holder in the discus throw, his biggest disappointment was the lost opportunity to bring his new wife, Nancy, to Europe on a "grand" tour while competing on the decidedly amateur European track circuit. Dave went on to coach at the high school and collegiate level before pursuing a career in hospital administration in Michigan and Rhode Island. He is survived by wife Nancy, brother Pit Martin, three children, including Christy (Sam), Matt, and Dave (Karen), and his favorite grandson, Nick. Despite his protests to the contrary, he was a dog lover, especially if they didn't board with him, and he had a soft spot for all the family dogs over the years including, most recently, Sadie and Charlie. For those interested, a donation in his memory can be made to The Horizons-Upward Bound program at Cranbrook Educational Community, a college-access program for Detroit students. Dave's high school teacher and track coach, Ben Snyder, founded the program fifty years ago.
Published in The New York Times on Aug. 28, 2016
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