Roy Felton Martin

Roy Felton Martin died peacefully on January 14, 2024 surrounded by his loving family. Roy was born on August 14, 1932, to Henry Grady Martin and Annie Mae Burroughs Martin, one of eight children in the family.

Roy Martin attended Evan P. Howell Elementary and Fulton High School graduating in 1950. He then attended Georgia Tech and later graduated with a BBA degree from Georgia State University. He furthered his education by completing a graduate level degree, CLU, at the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

While in high school he was very involved in athletics, playing varsity football, basketball, baseball, and running track. He was elected to the Fulton High School Athletic Hall of Fame. At Georgia Tech he played basketball and baseball on the freshmen teams. After his freshman year at Tech, he signed to play professional baseball in the minor leagues and spent time with the Miami Flamingoes and the Waycross Bears. While pursuing his dream to become a major leaguer, he was drafted by the U.S. Army and served two years during the Korean Conflict.

After his Army service, Roy returned home to Atlanta and married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Bagley Martin. Roy and Dorothy raised four children, three sons and one daughter, and remained married for forty-two years until her death in 1999. Roy and Dorothy were very supportive of their children’s activities at school and church. While Roy coached, Dot was the team mom for whatever sport their children were playing. Roy served as president of the Sprayberry High School Baseball Booster Club and also helped start the Kennesaw State University Athletic Booster’s and served as the president for ten years. In 1995, they started the KSU Athletic Scholarship Golf Tournament, which has raised over $1,000,000 for the athletic program. After Dot died, the university renamed the tournament in her memory. Roy is a member of the KSU Athletic Hall of Fame as a donor.

Following his college graduation in 1958, Roy went to work for the Life Insurance Company of Georgia as an agent. He rose from the ranks of agent to finish his career as the Senior Vice-President of Marketing, working at the corporate headquarters, and served on the company Board of Directors until his retirement in 1992.

Roy was an active member at Noonday Baptist Church in Marietta. He served on the Benevolence Committee, Pastor Search Team, and as a counselor in the Grief and Loss classes. In 1998, Roy headed up a project to build two youth baseball fields at the church where as many as 280 boys and girls played in leagues each spring and fall. These ball fields were named in memory of his wife Dorothy.

Roy Martin was preceded in death by his daughter, Vicki and his wife, Dorothy. He is survived by his three sons and their spouses: Ken and Florence of Peachtree Corners, Greg and Beth of Roswell, Brad and Kelly of Waxhaw, NC. He also has six grandchildren: Susan, Ellen, Amy, Roy II, Colby and Cooper, along with one great-granddaughter Olivia. His two surviving sisters are Nita Ash and Martha Hayes.

A funeral service to celebrate Roy’s life will be January 27, 2024 at 12:30PM at Roswell Funeral Home, 950 Mansell Road in Roswell, GA. Friends are invited to pay their respects and offer condolences to the family beginning one hour prior to the service. A graveside service will follow at Crest Lawn Memorial Park at 2:30PM at 2000 Marietta Blvd, NW Atlanta, GA.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Bobby Jones Golf Foundation which supports the growth of golf for kids and adaptive golfers. Roy discovered his love of golf as a young caddy at this golf course. Please use the link shown if you wish to make a donation: www.bobbyjonesgc.com/donate/