Jean Wilson Martin, age 97, passed away peacefully on March 30, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee.
She was born in Florence, Alabama on January 31, 1920 to Effie Mae “May” Johnson Wilson and Tom Wilson.
She was a graduate of Florence State Teacher’s College, now University of North Alabama. In 1949, she married George A. Martin, originally from Sheffield Alabama, and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where they raised their family. Mr. Martin was at that time Vice-President of Martin Stamping and Stove Company in Huntsville. At his death in 1995, he was Chairman of the Board of Martin Industries, Inc. Mrs. Martin lived in Huntsville until 2005, when she moved to Nashville to be close to family members.
A life-long proponent of education, Mrs. Martin was one of the original parents involved in the founding of Randolph School in Huntsville, and was very proud of its success and educational mission. She served on the Board of Randolph School from 1973 to 1981. She was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Huntsville, the Junior League of Huntsville, the Symphony Guild, The Huntsville Garden Club, The Huntsville Historical Society, and the Antiquarian Society. Although quite leery of horses herself, she whole heartedly supported her family’s equestrian pursuits, hosting hunt breakfasts and Hunt Balls for the Mooreland Hounds, the foxhunt in Huntsville that her husband helped to found, and where he was Honorary Fieldmaster for almost 30 years before his death in 1995. She made many friends and was much loved in the equestrian community throughout the Southeast. For the last 27 years, she has enjoyed the fellowship of family and friends at her Summer home in the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly on Monteagle Mountain. The peace and serenity of the Monteagle Assembly, and its educational, cultural, charitable and multidenominational religious mission, made it truly her spiritual home.
A devoted mother and grandmother, Mrs. Martin is survived by her three daughters, Karen Martin Fuqua (J. Gil Fuqua Jr.), of Nashville, Tennessee, Aline M. Day (Henry C. Day), of The Plains, Virginia, and Ann Martin Green (Harold C. Green), of Baltimore, Maryland; and her six grandchildren, Willa and James Fuqua, Lydia and Peggy Day, and Charlotte and Will Green.
There will be a graveside service at 2 p.m. in the afternoon on Friday, April 7, 2017 at Oakwood Cemetery, 3523 Jackson Highway, Sheffield, Alabama, with a reception afterward from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the evening at Turtle Point Country Club, 1000 Club Dr., Killen, Alabama.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly, P.O. Box 307, Monteagle TN 37356 or to Randolph School, 1005 Drake Avenue, Huntsville AL 35802.
Visit the online obituary: www.woodlawn-roesch-pattonfh.com
