John Franklin Martin

John Franklin Martin passed away March 2, 2026, encircled by the people he loved and who loved him. He had recently celebrated his 90th year. The son of Alfrieda Linda (Petoskey) Martin and John Franklin Martin (Senior), John was born in Alma, Michigan. He attended Beloit Memorial High School in Wisconsin, where he embarked upon what would become a rich, multifaceted life experience. During high school he worked in construction in Alaska and on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, eventually running the 285-acre farm while still in his teens. Tall and lean, he excelled at wrestling, and his Alaska work earned him the team’s nickname, Yukon John. After high school he worked for the railroad, which, he said, taught him the intricacies of diesel engines. He then went “adventuring,” living in Mexico City, where he joined a mountain climbing club and ascended two of the highest peaks in North America, Mt. Orizaba and Mt. Popocatepetl. He attended Mexico City College (now University of the Americas), developing an interest in anthropology. He subsequently worked in banking in San Francisco. He fell in love with San Francisco, returning often for visits. Coming back to Beloit, he worked for the city as a sewer cleaner and front-end loader tractor operator, repairing roadways.

While John was working in Beloit, a recruiter from Wabash College in Indiana showed up at his doorstep. Deciding it was time to go to college, he enrolled at Wabash, where his English professor encouraged him toward a career as a writer. But his interest in anthropology drew him forward to Beloit College, from which he graduated in 1960, Phi Beta Kappa. At Beloit, his experience in Mexico and knowledge of archaeology led to a multi-year research assistantship for archaeological work in central and southern Mexico. He went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree in anthropology at the University of Chicago in 1966.

In 1965 John began his academic career as a lecturer at the University of California, Riverside; the following year he accepted a professorial appointment at Arizona State University, Tempe. He taught at ASU for 42 years and was instrumental in launching the sociocultural program in the recently established Anthropology Department. At ASU he was honored with the university Alumni Association’s outstanding teaching award and undertook research on the relationships among human biology, economics, politics, and social life. His work appears in leading scholarly journals, including American Anthropologist, Current Anthropology, Ethnology, and Human Reproduction.

John loved hiking, fishing, hunting, and camping with his family, often open-fire cooking after a day in the mountains. Some of his favorite places were the forests and lakes of the White Mountains in northern Arizona and the rugged shoreline of the central and northern California coast. He spent many seasonal sojourns with family in these and other grandly and quietly beautiful places throughout the western U.S. He had a profound respect for the land and the Indigenous Peoples of the place. Understanding that the land, like a book, tells a story, he was a captivating storyteller and historical guide. He could also enthrall an audience for hours recalling memories of his more than 10 dog companions.

John was equally at home in the world of classical music and jazz. Music was a big part of his life, and he kept notes on favored orchestral and operatic performances, returning to them often. His keen mind engaged the politics of the time with acuity and an unwavering moral compass. A man of intelligence, wit, optimism, and humor (named “laughing Grandpa” by his grandchildren), he brought those qualities, and the values of equality, cultural diversity, and genuine concern for the wellbeing of others, to his relationships.

John spent his retirement years in Pacific Palisades, California, developing new friendships there. He is preceded in death by his mother Alfrieda Linda (Petoskey) Martin, father John Franklin Martin, sister Margaret (Peggy) Virginia Martin Valdiserri (Arthur Coscarelli), and nephew Robert Valdiserri. John is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Teresa McCarty; sister Beth (Charles) Tolfree; children Jennifer Martin and Stuart (Stacey) Martin; grandchildren Zachary Martin Johnson and Benjamin Israel Johnson; nieces and nephew Laura Tolfree, Cathy Valdiserri Dean, Beth Valdiserri Packard, and Steve Valdiserri; former spouse Susan (Israel) Peskind; and many loving in-laws.

Arrangements are by Pierce Brothers, Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary, Los Angeles, CA. No public service is planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring John with a donation to the American Indian College Fund at https://collegefund.org.