George E. Martin

George attended Catlin High School where he met Eileen Mumford. They became high school sweethearts, were married August 20, 1951, and then enjoyed a happy 70 year marriage, raising five children.

Shortly after graduation, George took a job as quality control technician at a surface coal mine close to Danville that was owned by Ayrshire Collieries Corp. That was the beginning of a forty year mining career with Ayrshire and successor company AMAX Coal Industries. George earned an Associates Degree at Danville Junior College while working at the Danville mine. He spent the next fifteen years working in the preparation department at three mines in Illinois and Kentucky. During those years he moved up through various supervisory and management positions, and was eventually promoted to General Mine Manager in 1969. He served in this capacity for sixteen years at three different AMAX mines in the tri-state, and then managed the AMAX Central Division for three years. The Central Division included three mines and a rail-to-barge coal transfer facility. George spent the last five years of his mining career in the AMAX corporate office in Indianapolis, retiring in 1993 from the position of Vice President of Operations Services.

After retiring from AMAX, George enrolled at IUPUI to finish the pursuit of a Mechanical Engineering degree that he had begun many years before. He later transferred to the University of Evansville and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1998. He then taught at Ivy Tech Community College for a brief five year “second career”.

George accepted Christ as his personal savior as a boy of ten, and served in local churches in all the towns where he lived during the years he moved around the Midwest. He was a forty-nine year member of Evansville’s North Park Baptist Church and its successor Community Central Church. He taught bible study classes at each church that he and his family attended and he took active leadership roles, including serving as a deacon at NPBC. Christian service was an important part of his life.

George’s favorite leisure activities centered around the water, including swimming, sailing, and scuba diving. Family fun was always a priority and there are many happy memories of good times with five children, nine grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren.

George was preceded in death by his parents: Ed and Grace; his wife: Eileen; two sisters: Ruth and Audrey; brother: Richard; son: Patrick; son-in-law: Mike Snowden, grandson: Christopher Sprague, and great-grandson: Luke Johnson. He is survived by brother: Paul David; daughters: Lyndall Snowden; Cheryl (Larry Wayne) Sprague; Valerie (Ed) Spiller; and Jennifer Martin. Additional survivors include the nine grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.

At an advanced age, George authored a book entitled “A Martin Memoir”. In his book he indicated he was most proud of his and Eileen’s seventy year marriage and his completion of an engineering degree at the age of sixty four. He offered his family as his legacy to the world.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 4:00 pm at Alexander North Chapel, officiated by Pastor Dan Sigler and Pastor Brian Turpin. Friends and family may visit from 12:00pm until service time at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Community Central Church located at 5015 N. First Avenue, Evansville, IN 47710.

Condolences may be made online at www.AlexanderNorthChapel.com.