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Remembering Long-time MNSC Member Jim Martyn on Jun 10, 2009
Jim Martyn passed away peacefully on May 8, 2009, at age 58, due to ALS. All knew him as a gentle, capable soul who could fix anything and loved adventure. He grew up in Mequon, but lived most of his life in Mad City. He was known by his family as brilliant, but not talkative. He achieved a perfect score on the math section of his SATs and taught his sister-in-law Barbara calculus, a feat she considered a miracle since no professor could ever do it. He was a guy who could have the engine out of a car and on the driveway within an hour, and what is more, he could put the pieces back together. He was formally employed as a biomedical engineer during the early years. He never married, but he had wonderful girlfriends through the years. Jim competed in countless ski marathons in Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Though he loved the thrill of races, he loved diagonal striding in the backcountry even more. During the warm months Jim hiked the wilderness. Or he was on the water. He would get up early so he could be on the water before six. He held the co-championship for master's rowing with his boat-partner, Mike Cochran, in a Duluth-based race called Death Row. He traveled to the Grand Canyon, the Green River and Bryce Canyon. He kayaked far and wide from Baja, Mexico to Glacier Bay, Alaska. Although a Midwesterner through and through, Jim also adventured to France where he rode the Paris Metro like a pro, though packed in like a sardine, due to a transportation strike. He suffered this privation calmly due to his wilderness survival skills, and being a foot taller than the natives allowed Jim to peer over their heads and figure out which way to turn. Though he knew not a word of French, Jim's practical streak helped him to navigate France. He got around by pointing his compass and foraging for street food. He scored many tasty park bench picnic lunches. He also explored the rivers and caves of Southern France, and the back alleys of cities such as Lyon, Carcassonne and Perpignan, poking his head into Gypsy and Arab neighborhoods, befriending North African street vendors, and catching the eyes of pretty girls. Jim was a helper. He provided care for his father, Earl Martyn, during his last months. For many years Jim gave a helping hand to his blind, elderly, next-door neighbor, Rosie. A few years later, Jim's new neighbors, Jenn and Kristen, moved into the house next door. They returned the good karma, by helping Jim stay in his house much longer than he would have been able to do otherwise. The last few months were hard, but not lonely as Jim had many visits to his hospice quarters in Madison. He is survived by his mother, Doris Martyn; brother, Kurt; sister-in-law, Barbara Morgan; nephew, Charlie Martyn; niece, Annie Pierce; and grandniece, Ellie Pierce who met Jim this March when she was five months old. A Memorial will be celebrated at HOSPICECARE MADISON, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, on Saturday, June 20, 2009, at 1 p.m., in the Johnson Dining Room. The family suggests memorial gifts be sent to the ALS Association (www.alsa.org).
Obituary from the Wisconsin State Journal, June 7, 2009.
