August 24, 2006

I attended Edgar Martin's memorial service yesterday. I met Edgar 4 years ago when I joined the West Jax Rotary. How fortunate I am to have gotten to meet someone like Edgar. When he spoke, everyone stopped and listened. At the memorial, his son told how his father died while Edgar was at the University of Florida. Edgar had to come home and operate the family business. However, his thirst for knowledge never ended. Edgar became a literary scholar and always had a quote for every occasion.

Then there was the comedic side of Edgar. My first real impression of Edgar was his winning performance at a Rotary joke off my first year in the club. Member after member went to the podium to tell thier best joke. I remember giving it my best shot telling a joke that made fun of consultants. Edgar wrapped up the contest with a very simple joke.

An old man and woman were on their front porch one evening watching the sunset.

The old man looked over at his wife and said, "Ma, whatever happened to our sexual relations?"

The old lady thought about this for a second, and responded, "You know Pa, I don't know. I don't even think we got a Christmas card from them last year."

Nothing fancy, but it brought the house down.

Edgar was a writer and a poet. Much of the memorial service was written by Edgar. The front cover of the program included a piece written by Edgar as an affirmation of I Corinthians 13:1-12:

As Thou hast shown us that love is kind,
So shall we be kind to one another.
As Thou hast shown us that love
Believes, and hopes and endures:
So shall our love endure in hope
And faith and mutual trust.
As Thou hast taught us that love
Should not be easily provoked,
So shall we bear and forbear,
Overlooking small shortcomings,
But dwelling in truth
Which sees beyond the frailties of the moment.

Here is Edgar's obituary:

Edgar A. Martin, age 92 died on August 19, 2006. He was born in Jacksonville in 1914. He attended local schools and the University of Florida as well as Oxford University. He was a Presbyterian Elder, serving over 40 years as a church school teacher at Lakewood Presbyterian Church. More recently he became a member of Riverside Presbyterian Church which he had attended in his youth. A member emeritus of the Rotary Club of West Jacksonville and a Paul Harris Fellow, he was awarded the J.J. McCranie Award for outstanding civic service which included service at Sulzbacher Center, St. Johns River Cleanup, Children's Reading Program and Adult Guidance at Paxon High School and other programs of Rotary. He was an honorary life member of the Florida Yacht Club, past member of the Revelers, the Friars, the Seminole Club, Ponte Vedra Club and past president of the Jacksonville Alumni Association of SAE. He was past president of the English Speaking Union and was awarded the merit of honor award from the national office of E-SU. In his early civic life he was twice named man of the month by the Jacksonville Junior Chamber of Commerce, where he served on the board of governors and was twice luncheon club chairman. He was president of E.A. Martin Seed Company and Martin's Garden Stores, which merged with Wilson and Toomer Company, where he was a sales manager. Later he became president of Agrisales, Inc. where he served until age 75. He was past president of the Florida Seed Association, the Southern Seedsmen's Association, and served on the board of the American Seed Trade Association. He was an honorary life member of the Federated Garden Circles of Jacksonville. He is survived by his sons Edgar A. Martin, III, Lawrence D. Martin, Roy Eric Martin (Elizabeth), and his daughter Hedvig, Vera Lavorgna (Anthony), his granddaughters Shannon, Janeice and Sarah, and great granddaughter Kaitlyn and his beloved Anne.

We'll miss Edgar.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.
William Shakespeare