Lawrence William Martin

Lawrence William Martin passed away in Chandler, Arizona on March 14, 2023, at the age of 91. Larry was born on September 14, 1931, in Detroit Michigan to J. Gardner Martin and Mary Loretta Haviland Martin. Larry was a 1949 graduate of The University of Detroit High School and received a B.E. in Engineering from the Univ. of Detroit in 1955. In 1958 he became a Registered Professional Engineer.

During college Larry was a coronet player in the marching band where he met and began a 70 year love affair with clarinetist Patricia Moran. Pat and Larry shared a few years of collegiate hijinks and married in 1954. He loved big band and swing music and never passed up an opportunity to dance with his bride.

In addition to raising six children, Larry had a long and productive career as a civil engineer. Larry began his career as an engineer with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) where he was responsible for the construction of several freeways and trunklines in the Detroit area. He later joined the Michigan Road Builders Association (MRBA) as an engineer and then served 18 years as its Executive Director. Under Larry’s guidance, the relationship between the MDOT and MRBA pivoted from adversarial to cooperative. After retirement, Larry continued to serve as the Administrator of MRBA’s Workers’ Compensation Self-Insurance Program.

Even before he left college, Larry became an active supporter of the Metropolitan Detroit Science and Engineering Fair (MDSEF). In 1967 and 1968 he served as the Director of the MDSEF, and in 1968 he was appointed Director of the International Science and Engineering Fair. In 1969, Larry was elected Chairman of the Advisory Committee to Science Service in Washington D.C. and co-chaired of General Motors’ Judging Team for the Transportation Award of Excellence at the International Science Fair.

Larry was elected to the College of Fellows of the Engineering Society of Detroit and served on its Board of Directors. He was an active member of the Capital Club in Lansing and served as its President in 1996.

Among those celebrating Larry’s life are his wife of 68 years Patricia; children Maureen (Mike) Pusateri, Carol Whitefield, Kathleen Martin, Jim (Cathy) Martin, Mary Sue (Peter) Vorbrich and Patrick Martin; grandchildren Jeffrey (Whitney) Klein, Mathew (Diana) Klein; Andrea Martin, Elizabeth Martin, Nathan Martin, Joshua Vorbrich, Ingrid Vorbrich and Frances Vorbrich; great grandchildren Carly Klein and Finley Klein; sister Anne Brennan and brother Gerald (Debbi Kile) Martin.

Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at Valley of the Sun Mortuary in Chandler, Arizona. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 31, 2023 at St. Steven’s Catholic Church in Sun Lakes, Arizona. There will be a luncheon immediately following the funeral Mass.