Neil Tillman Martin

A celebration of life will be held from 1-5 pm on Tuesday, December 14, at the Sunset Bay Lodge at the Ballard Elks.

Neil Tillman Martin passed away on Thursday, December 2, 2021, at University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.

Neil was born on August 23, 1976, in Angers, France to Van N. Martin and Catherine M. Martin. Neil, along with his two siblings, his older brother Yann Martin and his younger sister, Jennifer Martin, lived in many different places after their father joined the Army including Georgia, Texas, Germany, Oklahoma and New York where Neil graduated from James I. O’Neill High School in Highland Falls. After graduation, Neil served in the Army for a brief period before moving to Tacoma, WA. In Tacoma, Neil became active in the music scene as a DJ and turntablist but more importantly he met Nancey Ann Sajewski; immediately smitten, they married in 1998 and moved to Germany where she was stationed in Darmstadt.

In 2001, Neil returned to Washington and started his music career at Shoreline Community College in the Audio Engineering program. During this time, he interned at Studio X where he worked with the Deftones and met collaborators with whom he eventually formed the music group Numeriklab. With Numeriklab he had his biggest musical success composing the theme song of the hit TV show NCIS. In 2012, Neil shifted his focus and began working at Precor where he started his career as a quality engineer, specializing in the fitness industry. This career took him to Taiwan and China on a regular basis. Most recently, he took on the challenge of helping a growing company, Rad Power Bikes, by managing a team of quality assurance specialists.

In 2001 and 2003, his two greatest personal successes, Mia and Camille, were born. Their birth led to Neil’s deep commitment and involvement in the local community, starting at Greenwood Elementary School. He was a dedicated and passionate soccer coach, used his audio expertise to help drama club productions and was a connoisseur of local children’s artwork. He was the neighborhood BBQ pitmaster, a lover of soccer and boxing, and the consummate joker. Neil was both a great listener and the funniest person in any room; he could talk about anything with anyone, and we will miss both his storytelling and his way of making everyday life an event.

Neil passed suddenly from liver failure due to cancer. He is survived by his beloved wife, Nancey Sajewski Martin, his daughters, Mia S. Martin (19) and Camille A. Martin (17), and his dogs Coco and Remy.