Virgil D. Martin

Virgil Durrah Martin was born in Avon Park, FL on June 21, 1931 and went to be with the Lord on August 6, 2016. Virgil graduated from Avon Park High School in 1949 and remained a proud Avon Park Red Devil. He was an outstanding athlete in high school playing football, basketball and baseball while also playing French horn in the school band. He was named Most Athletic in his class and was very proud of playing for the Red Devils in five consecutive state tournaments from the 8th through 12th grade. His Red Devils won the state championship in the days when only one team was crowned Florida state champion. He also played on the Avon Park American Legion State Championship team. He was named one of Highland Counties 100 greatest athletes during the Highland’s county centennial celebration in 1999. He was inducted into the Avon Park Athletic Hall of Fame. At the University of Florida, Virgil played baseball, was a member of the Air Force ROTC and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Virgil lettered at Florida four years, was team Captain his senior year and a member of the first Gator baseball team to win the Southeastern Conference Championship. Virgil graduated from Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. On August 7, 1953 he married Vivian Anita Dean (Bibi). Vivian (his Babe) remained the love of his life for the next 63 years. Virgil proudly served as a communications officer in the U.S. Air Force with the Air Defense Command in Olathe, Kansas. Virgil and Vivian raised their three sons and lived in Pompano Beach Fl from 1956 to 2016. He was an electrical engineer with Florida Power and Light for 35 years and designed most of the over-head and underground electrical services for rapidly growing Broward County. He was an active member of the North Pompano Baptist Church where he served as a deacon for many years and the First Baptist Church of Pompano. He was known as Coach Martin to hundreds of kids in Pompano including his own sons. You name it he coached it, flag football, tackle football, basketball, and every level of baseball from T-ball to American Legion. Virgil often said when he grew older “I really had a perfect life.” He lived it with his family, the love of his life, Vivian, and with the protection and guidance of his Lord. Virgil is survived by his wife and three sons William(Bill) and wife Margie, Kenneth(Ken)and partner Christine Gronke, Charles (Charlie)and wife Robyn, his sisters Peggy Sisemore and husband Jim and Patsy Butler and husband Danny, his seven grandchildren (Lindsey, Lauren, Katie, Lantz, Blair and Reeves) and three great grandchildren (Connor, Brie, and Aden). Services will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, 111 East Circle St, Avon Park, FL with a luncheon to immediately follow at the Jacaranda Hotel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Virgil’s name to the Avon Park Red Devil Baseball team (700 East Main Street, Avon Park, FL 33825) or Trail Blazers, First Baptist Church, 138 NE 1st Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33825.