Gary Leon Martin

Gary Leon Martin passed away on December 10th of 2013 in Grants Pass Oregon at the age of 64 at the Three Rivers Hospital. He was born on June 14th 1949 in Grants Pass Oregon to Leon Junior Martin and Mary Elizabeth Martin, at the Josephine General Hospital, at that time, at the end of ‘A’ Street. Gary lived most of his life in Grants Pass, Oregon, with several years in Red Bluff, California as a young adult.

He had two childhood homes. The first being “the big white two story house” on Tokay Heights, the street the Grants Pass High School originally named it’s year book after, the Toka. Gary lived on Tokay heights until the age of 9 years old. The family moved due to the construction of Interstate Highway 5, making way for the new freeway. His second home was at 1023 Grandview Avenue in south Grants Pass, where he attended Redwood Elementary School, South Junior High School, and eventually Grants Pass High School.

Gary lived in Red Bluff California for quite a few years as a young adult, following his father’s transfer as a plywood inspector. There Gary married and started his career as a plywood foreman in a local mill. In Red Bluff he loved racing motorcycles as a sport, and loved driving his candy apple red GTO.

Upon Gary’s eventual return to his hometown, Grants pass, Oregon, he remarried and bought a 5 acre piece of property on Sleepy Hollow Loop where he built a home and raised two daughters. Eventually his daughters both moved to Texas with their mother.

At that time he moved into his final home onto a beautiful river site on the Rogue River. There, he married Patricia Martin of Grants Pass, Oregon, and lived there for 30 years until his passing December, 10th, 2013.

Gary is survived by his daughters, Michelle Martin of Vidor, Texas and Rachel Smith of Kirbyville, Texas., two grandsons of Texas, a bother, Jim Martin of Grants pass, Oregon, a sister, Cindy Vincent of Salem, Oregon, two nieces and four nephews, ten great nieces and nephews, and wife and partner Patricia Martin of Grants pass, Oregon.

Gary requested cremation and his ashes will be released into the Rogue River, a river he grew up playing in and continued to love throughout all his life.

Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.