Ray E. Martin, 90

SUN CITY CENTER, Fla. — Ray E. "Duke" Martin of Sun City Center, FL, passed away August 23, 2021, one month before his 91st birthday after a brief battle with multiple myeloma.

Ray was the youngest of six children of Sidney and Regina Martin of Franklin, NH, originally of Quebec, Canada. Ray was born September 24, 1930 in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, the first of his siblings to be born in the United States, and grew up in Franklin, NH.

Ray proudly served his country as a Navy veteran, serving four years including aboard the USS Tarawa in the Sea of Japan, as well as an Air Force veteran, serving 22 years as a flight-based radar technician at air bases in Mississippi, Cape Cod, Denver, California and Tehran, Iran. Ray retired from the Air Force as Master Sergeant in 1971, moved back to NH and began working for the US Postal Service. He resettled in Florida with his wife, Kathy, and continued to work for the Postal Service until he retired in 1991.

Ray loved golf and his cats and was a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan.

He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Kathleen (Shepard) Martin; as well as daughters, Suzette Martin (husband Alex), Josie Bendiks (husband Brian), Thia Howard (husband Wayne) and son Michael Martin (wife Marlene), all children of his first marriage to Adrienne Patch. His extended family includes nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; along with his brother, Neal Martin (100); and sister, Maria Kulacz (92).

He was predeceased by his parents, along with siblings Roger Martin, Arline Brine, and Rita Sargent.

A memorial service and military interment will be held on Ray's birthday at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen on Friday, September 24, at 1:30 p.m.

Donations in memory of Ray “Duke” Martin can be made to the Gary Sinese Foundation which supports veterans by building smart homes for severely injured veterans (https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/donate/)