William Brooks Martin

William Brooks Martin, 83, of Newburgh, passed away Monday, January 20, 2014, at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville. He was born June 19, 1930, in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Maurice Martin and Gladys (Johnson) Martin.

He was raised on Lake Minnetonka and attended Mound High School. Upon graduation, he attended the University of Minnesota while working at Mount Sinai Hospital. After only two years, he was teaching Anatomy 101 and 102, plus taking courses in Public Health. He moved to Chicago where he worked with Blue Cross and the American Hospital Association in developing hospital and health care accreditation standards.

At the outbreak of the Korean War, he joined the Minnesota Air National Guard where he served as a combat medic at March Air Force Base and then was assigned to the USS Good hope, a hospital ship out of San Diego, California. He then saw combat duty in Korea as a combat medic.

Following a good conduct discharge, he moved to Washington, DC, where he worked for the Veteran’s Administration as a liaison between the V.A. and both the Congress and the White House. He was honored to be a member of The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States in November, 1987, when, at that time, there were only three non-physicians in that organization. After retiring from the position in Washington, DC, he worked as Administrative Assistant to the Director of the 900 bed V.A. Medical Center where he secured its accreditation as a teaching medical center affiliated with five medical schools in the great three-state region. When he resigned, there was over 900 employees plus another 200+ students, residents and interns.

He moved to Malibu, California and incorporated Pacific Research International, LLC. He later sold the business and moved to San Jose, California, opening the first research firm in what is now the “Silicone Valley.” The firm had contracts with the V.A., Dept. of Defense, International Hospital Federation (now WHO) World Health Organization. He was given an offer to sell the firm and sold it.

With five million miles on Pan American Airlines, he settled down in Clearwater/Tarpen Springs, Florida and purchased a house boat, living on that in Key West.

It was in Key West where a friend, Tom Tucker, brought his sister, Clara Lou, for a visit. He was asked to build a Warrick County Hospital in Boonville, and there, married Clara Lou. They retired from the V.A. Medical Center in Alexandria, LA, moving to Historic Newburgh, Indiana on the Ohio River.

His wife, Clara Lou, passed away on February 8, 2013.

Brooks was founder and first board President of the Ohio Valley Scenic Route where Ohio and Illinois joined the board. He was first President of the “Friends of Angel Mounds” where they expanded the site from 300 acres to 600 acres.

When Ken and Leanna Hughes founded “Historic Newburgh,” and asked Brooks to be its first Executive Director, he resigned as Board President of the Warrick County Library System and joined the new Historic Newburgh and secured its non-profit status. He secured federal funding that was used to bring several well-known businesses to Newburgh and Warrick County.

Brooks was cremated at Alexander Funeral Home, where his ashes were divided with one burial next to his wife in Boonville and the other to his brother in northern Minnesota where they will be scattered into a lake where he spent many summer vacations with his brother and sister-in-law, Shirley, who survive him.

He is survived by his brother, Brooks (Shirley) Martin of Merrifield, MN.

There will be no services at the funeral home.