Allen “Al” Martin, 84, of Vero Beach, passed away on Feb. 3, 2015.
He was the beloved husband of Vivian C. Martin for 64 years, a loving father to his five children: Dale Martin, Lorna Martin, Cynthia Martin Ogle, Roxanne Martin, and Allen Martin II; and the beloved grandfather of 14 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Martin was born on June 16, 1930, in Tipler Wis., as a twin. He was the ninth child of 12.
Growing up, he was a self-taught musician, who never learned to read music, but was able to virtually play any instrument. At 14, he moved to Green Bay. He was a huge Packers fan. He joined the Army Air Corp at the age of 17. When he was 20, he met and married Vivian C. Hefke, in Kenosha, Wis.
Martin had a variety of jobs. He loved cars (especially Fords), and became a car salesman for 35 years. For four of those years, he owned and operated Al Martin & Son’s (a gas station/used car lot/mechanic). In 1975, he moved to Vero Beach, and worked at the Vero and Ft. Pierce Ford dealerships.
His charismatic personality made it easy for him to be top salesman on numerous occasions. He attended Central Assembly of God. For 30 years, he played the guitar and sang as part of a Christian ministry. It was important for Martin to testify about his faith, having survived open-heart surgery at the age of 57.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 10 a.m. at Central Assembly. A celebration of his life will follow the service. An additional memorial service will be held in Tipler, Wis., June 2015. His final resting place will be in the Martin Family Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s/Parkinson Association 2300 5th Ave #150, V.B., FL 32960. In the last year of his life, one of his greatest pleasures (besides eating) was going to “The Club” hosted by this association.