Marty will be forever missed by Gabrielle “Gabby” Vigneault Taylor, his loving partner of 28 years. He is also survived by his two sisters and their husbands, Marilyn and Martin Iskra and Marlene and Keith Bankwitz ,and his nephew, Blake Bankwitz. Marty was also proud of Gabby’s family, daughter and son-in-law Tracey and Adam Nash and their children, Jordan and Dylan.
Marty is preceded in death by his parents, Mary and Chester Miller and his beloved best-friend, and loyal companion of 14 years, a border collie named Oreo.
Marty was born on October 24,1954 in Dearborn, Michigan. Marty enjoyed watching and participating in sports his entire life. He was an accomplished racquetball player but enjoyed playing all racket sports. At Dearborn High School he earned a varsity letter in Track and Field and was an avid tennis player. He earned his undergraduate degree at Eastern Michigan University while teaching tennis and racquetball at the Belleville Racket Club. He also attended the University of Nebraska Omaha where he studied Health and Kinesiology at the graduate level before returning back to Michigan to begin his working career. He worked in the IT department at the Federal-Mogul Corporation before changing course and landing a job at Rouge Steel, which later became Severstal Dearborn, and then AK Steel where he worked for 25 years, retiring in 2020 as a Cold Mill Supervisor.
In 2022 he moved to The Villages, Florida where he spent the next 3 years enjoying retirement to the fullest with Oreo at his side, riding next to him in their golf cart, and visiting friends at the dog park. One of Marty’s favorite retirement activities was playing badminton. He valued the friendships he made with each member of The Villages Badminton Club. He was also a lifetime member of the Dearborn Racquet & Health Club where he cultivated a lifetime of close friends and lasting memories.
Oreo passed away about a month before Marty’s death and he was devastated by the loss of his best friend. He had adopted Oreo from the Dearborn Animal Shelter as a puppy and they were together for more than 14 years. It is without doubt that their reunion was joyous, and their unbreakable bond will continue into eternity.
There are no words that can express how grateful and blessed we are to our Villages neighbors and the AED team who were there for us on the night of Marty’s passing. Also, a heartfelt thank you to The Villages EMT, firefighters, and the doctors and nurses at the UF Health Leesburg Hospital for doing everything they could.
As Marty requested, no services were held; he is laid to rest at the St. Hedwig Mausoleum in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Those who would like to do something in his memory might consider a donation to an animal shelter or rescue of their choosing.
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