James W. Martin
Lt. Col. (retired) James W. Martin, of Cave Creek, Arizona, was born January 1, 1943 in Santa Rita, New Mexico, and passed away June 13, 2020 at Hospice of the Valley Friendship Village from complications of Parkinson’s disease and dementia. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Doris B. Martin, and his two daughters, Robyn Martin and Dawn Martin, of Flagstaff, Arizona. Jim was predeceased by his parents Wesley C. and Ruth E. Martin, baby sister Rosalie, brother Tom C. Martin, and faithful dog, Bandit.
Jim was a sales representative for many years with several different companies selling uninterruptible power systems for computers before they became an included component. He and his brother, Tom, eventually started their own business from which Jim retired upon Tom’s passing. Jim’s final business was Integrity Vending, which he doubled in size within 5 years so he could once again retire.
He was most proud of his time in the military, serving his country through active duty followed by 27 years with the Air National Guard of Arizona. Many of his favorite stories – and there were many – revolved around his days of encampment with the men and women of the 107th. Those who knew him recognized that he never let the facts get in the way of a good story!
Jim was a founding member of the Sun Country Model T Club, enjoying 45 years of tours and events in his bright red 1913 Model T Touring car. He served as President of the club six times and planned many successful tours. During his retirement years, Jim and Doris were able to travel extensively in their motor home with the Model T in a trailer so they could always explore an area at a moment’s notice. He enjoyed crisscrossing the country to visit friends and family including trips to Mexico and Canada. Other travels took him to Egypt and Jordan, on numerous ocean and river cruises, and a final trip to Ireland, London, and Russia. When Jim wasn’t traveling by vehicle, he was piloting his Comanche airplane for both pleasure and business trips. He and his wife were members of the Maricopa County Sheriff ’s Air Posse helping with search and rescue operations and Border patrols. Jim served as Commander of the Air Posse for several years, focusing on training exercises and developing camaraderie within the unit. Other interests included dancing; be it a waltz, the two-step, or a square dance. He enjoyed them all, along with ‘old dead cowboy’ musicians.
He will be laid to rest at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona following a private family service. Later this fall, there will be a ‘Margarita Celebration of Life’ for friends and family to come together and honor Jim.
A special thank you to Hospice of the Valley for their compassionate care in his final days, and to Dr. George Prigatano, Jim’s trusted neuropsychologist and friend.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Hospice of the Valley at 1510 E. Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85014, or call (602) 530-6992, or donate online at HOV.org. Visit hansenmortuary.com for online condolences.