Marty broke his neck in a diving accident two days after his 16th birthday. But that didn't stop this quadriplegic. He graduated high school with his class. Somewhere among his pictures is one of him in cap and gown, sitting in his wheelchair, receiving his diploma.
For the summer a few years after his graduation, his oldest sister Roseanna took him to Marquette MI, where her husband was stationed. He stayed longer than originally planned and had his first snow there. His brother-in-law bundled him up, took him outside, and threw him into a snow drift. He said he made little snow angels, gesturing with bent arms.
He returned to Florida for a brief time, then returned to Michigan, this time moving to Ann Arbor, where he lived for the rest of his life. This was perfect, since University of Michigan hospital system and Ann Arbor itself are so attuned to the disabled.
In his 20s Marty took up photography. He got pretty good. Back before the renovations at the Big House, wheelchair seating was on the sidelines and the owner of a free publication bought season tickets for Marty and an assistant. His assistant would set the tripod and camera up on the arm of his wheelchair and, holding the shutter bulb in his mouth, Marty took action shots for the publication. He has an enlarged portrait he took of Bo Schembechler, taken when they came across each other in the tunnel. Bo was kind enough to sign the border, which would frame the portrait, for him. He also took some spectacular photos at the Native American Student Association (NASA) annual Dance for Mother Earth Powwow.
Everyone loved Marty. His long-time companion and partner, Sonya Angevine, reminisced, “Whenever we'd go downtown, numerous times people would hail him from up and down Main Street. When we'd go into shops and restaurants, owners and employees alike would call out to him. And Marty loved people. Everyone.”
In his heyday he was all over Ann Arbor, in and out of the shops, attending rock concerts. He saw some big headliners such as Bob Dylan, Grand Funk, and Queen.
He leaves to mourn his partner Sonya Angevine and her family, his long-time caregivers Daphne O’Garro and Danny Birdsong, and Marty’s siblings and their families: Roseanna (Shoshi) Strange, Janice Strange, Charles Strange (Theresa), Jennifer Stanley (Tommy), Marsha May (Joe), and Janie Vance (Craig).
He was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Turner (Leonard), and his Father, Robert Strange.
Contributions can be made to: https://www.christopherreeve.org/donate
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