William Frank Martin Jr.

William Frank Martin Jr., 81, of Jeffersonville, IN passed peacefully from this life on Sunday (Father’s Day), June 18, 2017, with his daughter, Ann Marie, at his side in Wheat Ridge, CO. Will was born on November 24, 1935, in Big Spring, Texas to William Frank Martin, Sr. and Verna Earline (Kinard) Martin.

He graduated from Big Spring HS in Texas in 1954. He received a BA in History from Howard Payne College in 1958 and an MS in Secondary Education from Indiana University in 1968. Will’s lifelong career was in the field of education: teaching Jr. High in Sellersburg, IN from 1962 to 1967, as principal of a primary school in Quito, Ecuador, from 1968 to 1973, as a GED teacher for youth at the Clark County Youth Camp in Henryville, IN from 1974 to 1982, and as a GED teacher for adults at the Branchville Correctional Facility in IN from 1983 to 2000.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Patsy Carroll Davis; his brother, James “Buddy” Martin; his nephew James “Jimmy” Martin; and his daughter, Kirsten Carol Martin. Will is survived by his daughters, Dawn Martin Matthews of South Bend, IN; Lisa (Leslie) Martin of Los Angeles, CA; Ann Marie Martin of Denver, CO; son Andre (Lara) Martin of Fairbanks, AK; grandsons Nathan and Nicholas Martin-Bourne; granddaughters Irene Matthews, Emma Anderson, and Katherine Anderson. He has two nieces (Barbie and Heather), a nephew (Butch), and grand nieces and nephews in Texas.

Will had a lifetime of adventures and lived life to its fullest. When he married Pat, the love of his life, he gained a whole new family through her whom he greatly enjoyed and loved. His interests included reading, speaking Spanish, cooking, folk dancing, gardening, traveling, art, photography, cultural events, and museums. Will was a Mason and a member of the Episcopalian Church. He enjoyed spending time with his family and cherished visits and phone calls from loved ones when he could no longer visit them. He had a quiet strength and will be remembered for his loving, kind, and gentle spirit.

Friends are invited to join the family for a graveside service on Saturday, June 24, at 10 am at Cave Hill Cemetery, 701 Baxter Ave, Louisville, KY.

Contributions in memory of William F. Martin may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Online condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.archlheadysouthernfh.com. The family is under the care of Arch L. Heady Southern Funeral Home.