Charles W. 'Chuck' Martin Jr.

RICHMOND, Ind. – Charles W. ‘Chuck’ Martin Jr., age 83, of Richmond, died Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at Friends Fellowship Community surrounded by his wife, Mary Ellen, and three children, Amy, Catherine, and Charles. He and Mary Ellen had lived at Friends Fellowship since June 2015. The family would like to sincerely thank the Friends Fellowship Community and Reid Health Hospice Services for the wonderful care they provided him during the last weeks of his life. Chuck was born on April 28, 1933, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Charles W. and Mary C. Martin. His love of camping, hiking, and the outdoors, which he carried with him his entire life, stemmed from nights camping with boyhood friends in the western High Plains and summer days spent wandering in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Boy Scouts provided a more formal structure to his outside activities and introduced him to geology, from which he would later earn his livelihood. He advanced to Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting. Chuck graduated from Central High School in Omaha in 1950 and attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, graduating in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in geology. He went on to earn his doctorate in geology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1961. It was in Madison that he met his future wife, Mary Ellen Ellis. They were married June 20, 1959, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. In August 1960, Chuck embarked on his career as an assistant professor in the Department of Geology at Earlham College, retiring in June 1996 at the rank of professor. During 36 years at Earlham, his passion for teaching and advising, his unwavering commitment to academic rigor and high standards, his innovative instruction and careful mentoring, and his exuberant zest for life inspired several generations of students. Following graduation, many would attend some of the finest graduate programs in geology and become prominent geologists in the academic and private sectors. At Earlham, Chuck was a founding member of and guiding force for the Earlham Wilderness Program, taking students regularly to the Uinta Mountains in Utah, and a supporter of and participant in the college’s Studies in Cross Cultural Education (SICE) program in Japan. An Eli Lilly Endowment Faculty Open Fellowship in 1983/84 sparked an interest in the Oregon Trail and led to his long involvement with the Oregon California Trails Association (OCTA), an organization devoted to the preservation of trails related to the 19th century westward expansion. Chuck and Mary Ellen were active members of OCTA, with Chuck serving on the board of directors from 1987 to 1992. They attended nearly every annual convention beginning with the inaugural one in 1983. Active in the Richmond community, Chuck served as a member of the Society for the Preservation and Use of Resources (SPUR) and the Richmond Parks and Recreation Boards, Senior Warden at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 20, and a member of the Richmond Y’s Men’s Club. One of his proudest civic achievements was his work to preserve the Whitewater Gorge as a local park for future generations. Upon his retirement, Mary Ellen and he traveled extensively in the US and around the world. In addition to travel, his joys were visiting his children and grandchildren, traversing remote mountain passes in Colorado and Utah, and spending time at their homes in Colorado and Florida. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Mary Ellen Ellis Martin; son, Charles Wellington (Sabine) Martin of Manhattan, Kansas; daughters, Amy Martin (Paul) Ferguson of North Andover, Massachusetts, and Catherine Martin (Dave) McCool of Newburyport, Massachusetts; grandchildren, Nicholas and Christine Martin, Benjamin, Rebecca, William, and Owen Ferguson, and Margaret and Clara McCool; and one sister, Julie Videon. Chuck was preceded in death by his parents. Memorial visitation for Charles W. Martin Jr., will be from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Doan & Mills Funeral Home, 790 National Road West, Richmond. A memorial service for Charles W. ‘Chuck’ Martin Jr., will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 13, 2016 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 800 North A Street, Richmond. Entombment will be in the St. Paul’s Episcopal Columbarium. Arrangements are being handled by Doan & Mills Funeral Home, 790 National Road West, Richmond. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Oregon California Trails Association (OCTA) at 524 South Osage Street, Independence, Missouri 64051 (donate online at: http://www.octa-trails.org/home/donate-online), or the Douglas County Historical Society of Omaha, Nebraska at 5730 N. 30th Street, Bldg. 11B, Omaha, Nebraska 68111. Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at www.doanandmillsfuneralhome.com.

Charles W. 'Chuck' Martin Jr.

April 28, 1933 - May 4, 2016