Donald Melvin Martin

The family of Donald Melvin Martin, Lawrence, Kansas is saddened to announce his passing on Saturday, July 27, 2024 at the age of 83 years. Born August 24, 1940 in Whittier, CA. The eldest child of Melvin and Carolee Drake Martin, he attended elementary school in Southern California. The family moved to Lawrence and he continued school and graduated from Lawrence High in 1958. Don attended Baker University for his Freshman year before enlisting in the US Navy and served 4+ years on the ammunition ship, the USS Haleakala during the Vietnam War.

An honorable discharge from the Navy, Don returned home, enrolled at the University of Kansas where he received his Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences. His career took him East where he worked in Washington DC for the Environmental Protection Agency on the Water Quality Act of 1965. From there he worked at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia PA and later went on to manage the Academy’s Benedict Maryland Estuary Research Lab on the Patuxent River. During this time at the lab, he also worked with the Chesapeake Bay Waterman’s Association and felt that urge for a career change. With the support of his wife Maria, he became a waterman working his clam rig on both the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake Bay, America’s largest estuary.

In 1984 Don with a career shift, returned to Lawrence with his wife Maria and directed his interest to the environment taking a position at Hall Kimbrell in asbestos abatement. Recruited by Hallmark Cards, Don worked as Hallmark’s Environmental Officer first at the Kansas City, Missouri headquarters and then at the Hallmark facility in Leavenworth, Kansas. During this time the Martin’s owned Southwest and More on Mass Street in downtown Lawrence, a small art gallery and gift shop specializing in Native American art and jewelry and Mexican imports. This added to their love for travel taking them on buying trips to the Southwest and Mexico. And, he resurrected his Grandad’s fruitcake, Drake’s Fruitcake.

Don was an avid outdoorsman enjoying hiking and fishing, a Formula One racing enthusiast, and an avid gardener which is what you would find Don doing at his home gardens and orchard. For 13+ years they enjoyed their grandsons Drake and Wesley Martin’s Baldwin school sport games and could be found in the bleachers cheering them on. A great joy for Don was being able to travel both with his children and then with his grandsons and show them the natural beauty and
adventures of our National Parks and the landscape across the country. Knowing their grandparents each travelled through all 50 states, the grandsons kept count of their states.

He is survived by his wife Maria, his daughter Coleen, his son Brett and his wife (Kimberley Haun Martin), his grandsons Drake and Wesley, his sister Mary Priddy, his brother James, his sister Diane and her husband (Eddie Davalos). He is also survived by Sylvia Kampschroeder Martin, his former wife and mother of his children, Mindy Holmes (mother of his grandsons), and Anna and Isaac Smoots (children of his daughter-in-law Kimberley). A family man that was an inspiration to his family and friends, and who cherished the time spent with his grandsons Drake and Wesley. He will be missed.

Graveside Services with Military Honors will be 10 am, Sunday, August 18, 2024, at Oak Hill Cemetery. Memorial donations in Don’s honor may be made to The Arbor Day Foundation at www.arborday.org.