Extracted from The Ruston Daily Leader (Ruston, LA)
Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Dr. Jack Martin

Services for Dr. Jack B. Martin, 83, of Ruston will be at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, at the Ruston Church of God. Former pastor, the Rev. Gerald Marvel, now of Vancouver, Wash., will officiate with the assistance of current pastor, the Rev. Dwight Boozer. Dr. Martin, often known to friends as J. B., died in Lincoln General Hospital following a long illness. He was born on Sept. 23, 1921, in Waco, Texas. His parents, Jack Buck and Winona Martin, have both preceded him in death. J. B. graduated from Fairbanks High School in 1938 and from Louisiana Tech in 1943. Then he served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant J.G. engineering officer. From age 17 on, he loved God supremely, and gave generously to many phases of his work.

He started teaching chemistry at Louisiana Tech in 1947, and did so for 33 years. During these years, he earned both a Masters and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas. After his retirement from Tech, he taught for 15 more years at Bethel Christian School, having already donated the land for that school back in 1969.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Florine; his three children, Sharon, Judy and John; his son-in-law, Mac McGuire; his daughter-in-law, Debbie Martin; three grandchildren, Leanna, Wesley and Tyler McGuire; a grandson-in-law, Gerald Henderson; three great-grandchildren, Natalie, Harley and Caleb McGuire; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be given to the Ruston Church of God or Bethel Christian School. Visitation will be on Thursday evening from 5-8 at Kilpatrick Funeral Home.