Martin Marty L. McCarley Jr.

Major Martin Lloyd McCarley Jr, passed away peacefully in the presence of his family on May 15th, 2016,in Austin, Texas. Born to Martin Lloyd Sr and Mildred Myrtis McCarley in Columbia, South Carolina on April 20th, 1932, he had celebrated his recent 84th birthday. As a man who has a relationship with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we know that his time on earth is not an end, but a beginning.

Although he retired in Austin, Texas, his early years were spent in South Carolina. He attended The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, as an underclassman cadet. He then completed his BA at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, his home city. In college he was an active member of his fraternity, Sigma Nu, and yet found time to work as a page for the South Carolina Legislature at the Capital building. It was his time serving in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at college, which set him on a career in the United States Air Force and moved him out of the Carolinas. He served 22 years as an American military officer, retiring with the rank of Major.

While serving as a young officer at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery Alabama, he met and married the love of his life, Claudia Joan Jenkins, on June 1, 1957. For over 58 happy years they were husband and wife. Together they resided in a number of cities before settling in Austin, Texas with their five children. He was blessed to have ten grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He is survived by his devoted wife, Claudia, Cris and Kim Johnston, Lloyd and Brenda McCarley, David and Tracie McCarley, Scott and April McCarley, Trent McCarley and Linda Wiggers.

Once in Texas, Marty made the state his home. He earned a Master in Business Administration fromTexas State University in San Marcos, Texas, one of several fine universities in the Austin area. In addition to the excellent educational opportunities, Austin is known for its sports and recreation, in which he actively participated. He was an avid runner, cyclist, and triathlete; participating in many races and events over the years, earning his fair share of awards. He later picked up golf as his favorite exercise, which he occasionally played with his children as partners. It was on his 80th birthday, playing golf with his five children, that he had his first and only hole-in-one.

His was a genteel manner, reminiscent of a southern hospitality, given with a slight South Carolina accent that never completely disappeared. For a short period of time after retirement, he was a gentleman rancher in the nearby town of Georgetown, Texas. He had a few sheep and goats, watched over by a large white Pyrenees and an English sheepdog. However, he never liked to send animals to market; instead he added a small volunteer herd of white tail deer to his daily livestock feeding. It was part of his gentle nature to care for and appreciate those around him. Eventually he returned to the big city of Austin and the neighborhood where he had raised his children. All of whom have settled in the city and who were close at hand for his final goodbye.