William Barry Martin, 71, of Charleston, West Virginia and Cape Coral, Florida, died peacefully in his sleep in Irmo, South Carolina on June 28, 2024.
He was born in Charleston, WV in 1953 to William J. Martin and Elizabeth L. Swats, who taught Barry the importance of hard work, education, and traditional family values. During his childhood and formative years, he played basketball, golf, and tennis and enjoyed spending summers with cousins outdoors in scenic Hinton, West Virginia. He attended Horace Mann Junior High School and Charleston High School before studying at Ohio University, going on to work at Bayer Crop Science in Institute, West Virginia. Working both in the accounting and security departments, Barry established lifelong friendships and was held in high regard by his peers.
Barry met the love of his life, Sandy Dailey, in Charleston, WV. They were married and had two daughters, Brittany Nicole Martin and Amy Michelle Martin, who they loved dearly. As the consummate “girl dad,” he prioritized his daughters’ youth athletics, schooling, and extracurricular activities, often boasting of Brittany’s collegiate achievements at Marshall University or Amy’s national cheerleading and state show choir championships.
In all things, Barry put God first. He befriended and helped many people in his dedication to serving others. As an active member in churches in Hurricane, WV and Cape Coral, FL, as well as supporting twelve-step fellowships across the country, his dedication to aiding his fellow man left a legacy that can still be felt today.
Though he loved rooting for the West Virginia Mountaineers, playing tennis, boating, and attending concerts with friends and family, Barry’s true passion was being a grandparent. He treasured his role as “Grampy” to Keagan, Tripp, Cora, and Jack, never failing to spoil them any chance he could.
Barry will always be remembered for his happy-go-lucky nature and always speaking his mind, holding true to his personal convictions. We’ll always be reminded of him whenever we hear a song by The Beatles, James Taylor, The Eagles, or feel compelled to groove as soon as a Motown record plays on the radio. Though we’ll miss Barry every day, we are grateful for the time we had with him. We know he is now at peace with the Lord, smiling down on us.
Barry was preceded in death by his parents, William and Elizabeth Martin; his wife, Sandy Martin. Survivors include his two daughters; Brittany (Sean) Martin of Hurricane and Amy (Nick) Roberts of Irmo; and his grandchildren, Keagan, Tripp, Cora, and Jack.
A memorial service will be held at Gateway Christian Church in St. Albans, WV on July 27, 2024 at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Union Mission of Charleston, WV. https://unionmission.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate
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