Joe E. Martin, 85, of Stillwater, passed away on Friday, March 3, 2017. He was a resident of the Primrose Retirement Communities in Stillwater and took part in numerous programs there.
Joe was a member of the activities committee, led many card games, and was a champion pool player.
He also had a repertoire of one-or two-line jokes which he told every morning at breakfast.
Joe was born on May 4, 1931, in Bristow, Oklahoma, to James and Maude Martin, and was a graduate of Rocky High School, Rocky, Oklahoma.
He married his high school sweetheart, Benna, in 1951.
Joe was a retired school administrator, coach, and teacher for schools in Lookeba, Cordell, Shawnee, and Hobart.
When he retired in 1990, he was principal at Hobart High School.
During his career, he served as the state president of the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals, representing the association at state and national meetings.
His leadership to public education in Oklahoma made a lasting impact on many lives, and on the schools in which he served.
Joe proudly served in the United States Air Force during the early 1950s, with assignments at Luke Field in Arizona, Great Falls Air Force Base in Montana, and Keflavik in Iceland, before attending and graduating from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
He also completed post-graduate work at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University.
Joe was an avid Oklahoma State University supporter and enjoyed nothing more than wearing orange and attending games to watch his granddaughter Emily perform as a member of the OSU pom squad.
His beloved wife, Benna G. (Deeds) Martin, died February 25, 2016, after their celebration of almost 65 years of marriage.
He is survived by a son, Joel Martin (USAF retired) of Minden, Louisiana; daughter-in- law, Elizabeth; a daughter, Pamela Fry of Stillwater; sonin- law, Don; three sisters, Nadine Frazier and Genae Rahhal, both of Cordell, and Sue Farris of Oklahoma City; brother, John Martin of Verden; and three grandchildren, Adam Fry of Norman, Jared Fry of Oklahoma City, and Emily Fry of Stillwater.
Graveside services for Joe E. Martin were held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at the Lone Star Cemetery in Rocky, Oklahoma, officiated by Rev. Buck Nicholson.
Services were under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.