Edward Joseph Martin III

Edward Joseph Martin III, a beloved father, grandfather, friend, and a proud New Yorker until the end, passed away peacefully on October 9, 2025, in New York City.

Born September 3, 1937, Ed was nicknamed “Bo” because he weighed 13 pounds at birth, reportedly prompting the nurses at the Tarrytown hospital to call him “Big Bozo.”

Like everything in life, he bore his nickname with an easygoing sense of humor.

He played football, basketball and hockey for Washington Irving High School in Tarrytown, which he attended with his two older sisters, Nancy and Ellen.

He followed in the footsteps of his namesake and father, Edward Martin Junior, studying engineering with the Class of 1959 at Cornell University, where he made the basketball team as a walk-on player. Ed was an enthusiastic, engaged and generous alum.

Ed switched fields from engineering to law, graduating in 1963 from Albany Law School, where he was a loyal donor.

He met his beloved wife, Lori, at a party on the Upper East Side. They dated for six years before they married at the Church Center for the United Nations in 1970. When Lori passed away in 2006 after a valiant battle with Lewy body dementia, Ed bore the loss with dignity, shepherding his family through grief. He had lost his father when he was 15-years-old, and displayed steadfast stoicism, supporting his mother and sisters.

Ed’s love of basketball stayed with him throughout his life and career. As a young lawyer, he became basketball teammates with his Dewey Ballantine colleagues, who were loyal friends throughout his life. He brought his expertise and passion for the law to Shea and Gould and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, making more close friends along the way. He donated his time and resources to education and housing causes throughout his career.

An avid traveler, Ed loved visiting new cities throughout his life. He drove across Europe in his twenties by himself, then with Lori. His grandchildren loved travelling with their Papa, whose laidback style and inquisitive mind made each trip an adventure.

Ed played tennis every week up until the last two years of his life, sharing his love of the sport with his children and grandchildren. We will cherish memories of reading, travelling, dining out, playing tennis and watching all types of sporting events with him forever.

Ed is survived by his daughter Jill, son Edward, son-in-law Nick, grandchildren Emma, Oscar, Max and Lillian, and an extended family of in-laws, nieces and nephews. We will always remember his dry sense of humor, calm leadership, quiet generosity and loyal friendship.

Ed supported multiple charities throughout his life. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, New York Cares, the Central Park Conservancy, or one that’s meaningful to you. Please join us for a wake on Monday, October 27, at 12 PM, with a service at 4 PM, at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel.