Frank James Martin Jr.

Before retirement, he was president and co-founder of the Martin Corporation, a nationally respected full-service marketing company.

Mr. Martin was born in Chicago, Illinois, January 28,1931, and grew up in Richmond, Indiana. He graduated in 1953 with a B. S. In Business from Indiana University where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

He married his childhood sweetheart, Ruth Ann Hennigar, on October 3, 1952 in Bloomington, Indiana, at the University Lutheran Church.

Upon graduation from IU he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Us Air Force. He entered active duty in October 1953 and initially served at Lackland AF Base, in San Antonio, Texas. He later spent an unaccompanied one year tour of duty in Iceland. In 1956, upon completion of his Iceland assignment, he was selected as part of the initial cadre to reopen Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, NC. He served as Wing / Base Director of Administration (Wing / Base Adjutant). He completed the Squadron Officers Course at the Air Force Command and Staff College in Montgomery, Alabama. He left active duty in June 1961 as Captain.

Mr. Martin had extensive housing industry marketing and management experience holding executive positions with Alside Homes in Akron, Ohio, Armco Steel Corporation in Middletown, Ohio and Ryan Homes in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to co-founding the Martin Corporation, he was associated with The Ryland Group, Inc. inColumbia, Maryland for over eleven years where he was vice president and divisions manager, marketing manager, director of marketing, and vice president of marketing services.

In 1979, Mr. Martin and his wife Ruth Ann Martin, co-founded the Martin Corporation which provided a broad range of marketing, management and consulting services for many of the nation’s and region’s leading builders and developers.

He was very active with National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). He was the 1986 president of the Institute of Residential Marketing (IRM) which is NAHB’s educational and training organization that rewards the coveted MIRM designation for sales and marketing professionals. As Charter Member of IRM he served on the Board of Directors from 1984 to 1986, as vice president in 1985 and secretary in 1984. He was a Life Member of the Sales and Marketing Council’s Million Dollar Circle, a Life Spike, a Certified New Home Professional and served on numerous national committees.

Mr. Martin was also very active with the Home Builders Association of Maryland (HBAM) serving on the their Board of Directions from 1984 to 1988 and again in 1991 to 1992. He served on the executive committee during 1984 and 1985. He also served on the Maryland Builders Association (MBA) Board of Directors during 1991 and 1992. He was the 1984 and 1985 president of HBAM’s Sales and Marketing Council (SMC) and served on the SMC board of directors from 1980 to 1992. He served on the retention committee from 1992 to 1993. He received an award as chairman of the first HBAM areawide Parade of Homes in 1983 and was honored as HBA’s “Spike of the Year for 1992”.

Mr. Martin was listed in Who’s Who in Industry and Finance, Who’s Who in Advertising, Who’s Who in Media and Communications and Who’s Who in the East.

His avocation was sailing. He was a member of The Annapolis Yacht Club and the Albatross Sailing Society.

Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Ruth Ann Martin of Annapolis: four children: Vickilee J. Martin of Annapolis, Frank J. Martin, III of Ellicott City, Jon J. Martin (deceased) of Jarrettsville, and Kerry J. Martin of Columbia; four grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Haily, Sophia and Dalton.; brothers Thomas F. Martin of Columbia, Jay F. Martin of Richmond, Indiana, Jack M. Martin of Richmond, Indiana, Jerry D. Martin of Indiana, Jim Rahdert of Greensfork, Indiana and a sister, Carol A. Nolte of Dayton, Ohio.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the John M Taylor Funeral Home, 147 Duke of Gloucester Street in Annapolis.

Burial at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens is private.