Jack Wade Martin
- Jack W. Martin, 88, passed away on Apr. 1, 2024. A native of South Knoxville, Jack grew up on Maryville Pike. He attended Flenniken Elem. School, and graduated from South High School in 1953. In his senior year, his high school dance band competed in & won the Knoxville Jive Jubilee competition. He and his twin brother, Joe, were very accomplished musicians - Jack was a stellar trumpet player, while Joe was every bit as good on the saxophone. The dance band they formed was called Jack Martin Orchestra. They played such venues as the Wonderland Hotel, Whittles Supper Club, Parkway Banquet Hall, South Knoxville Recreation Center, Chilhowee Park, and the Marine Corps Reserve Training Center. Around 1963, Pat & Lib’s Supper Club on Asheville Highway in E. Knox County hired the small orchestra to perform three times per week as the house band, tweaking the name to Jack Martin’s Combo at this point. This engagement lasted until circa 1970. By the mid 1970’s, Jack and Joe had joined the Tyler Greene Band, starting another regular gig as the house band at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. This was the last regular band for Jack and Joe, as their interest in playing music started to decline in favor of investing in and collecting antiques.
In 1960, Jack attained steady employment when he was hired by the U.S. Postal Service. He retired in 1990 as the Postmaster in Jefferson City, TN. He became infatuated with collecting all sorts of glassware, especially carnival glass and the like.
He amassed an enormous collection of glassware, along with automobilia, petroliana, advertising signs, and firearms. To tour his house was like entering a three-story antique shop - it was furnished with collectibles inside and out. At any given time, he had at least one antique gas pump sitting on his front porch. His interests were very eclectic, to say the least.
A life-long bachelor, Jack never settled down with a mate, although he did have several long-term girlfriends. He was preceded in death by his parents: Glenn Roosevelt Martin & Josephine Viola Russell Martin; twin brother, Joseph Russell Martin; sister, Betty Jean Martin Webb; and nephew, Mick Atchley.
He is survived by his nephew, Alan Webb (Reneau); niece, Gina Webb Atchley (Tony Giles); great niece and nephew, Amy Webb & David Webb; special beloved cousins, Sue Duncan, Margaret Christopher, and Glenda Catlett, Ralph Russell; special trading buddy, Dennis Smith; and good friends, Jane Aiken, Yogi Morris, and Gordon Massengill.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The family will receive friends 1 PM – 2 PM Friday, April 5 with funeral service to follow at 2 PM in the West Chapel of Atchley Funeral Home. Chaplain Joel Tilson will officiate. Interment will follow in Pigeon Forge Baptist Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at www.atchleyfuneralhome.com