Julian Martin

Visitation will be from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. Thursday at Green Oaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd. On Friday, visitation will be at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11441 Goodwood Blvd., from 9 a.m.until time of funeral mass at 10:30 a.m.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 59 years, Pat Martin; his three children and their spouses, Leslie and Jesse Young, of Wisner; Jay and Karen Martin, of Baton Rouge; and Tracey and RejeanBouchard, of Quebec, Canada; seven grandchildren and their spouses, Jessica and Joe Handy, of Baton Rouge; Michael and Maranda Young, of Wisner; Matthew Martin, of Baton Rouge, and Katherine, Phillippe, Julian and Madeleine Bouchard, of Quebec; great-grandchildren Evangeline and Abram Handy, of Baton Rouge, and Nicholas and Dorothy Young of Wisner; special niece Michelle Fryou and numerous other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Florence and Earl Martin Sr., and a brother, Earl Martin Jr.

In addition to the fair, for 30 years Martin served as president of the State Fair Foundation, the financial and charitable arm of the fair, responsible for donating almost $5 million in scholarships and grants to local causes and organizations since its inception in 1986. Martin spent his professional life in the printing business, recently retiring after 43 years with Franklin Press.

A graduate of Catholic High School, Martin has held numerous leadership positions and garnered recognition from both professional and community organizations.

He was the charter president of the Sunrise Rotary Club (1988) and a member for 27 years; received the Volunteer Activist Award from the Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation in 1991 and the Pete Goldsby Award from the Advertising Federation of Greater Baton Rouge, presented to the person who had made the greatest contributions to the advertising profession, their company and the community, in 1990. Martin served as chairman of the Baton Rouge Bicentennial Commission in 1975-76. He also served as president of the the Advertising Federation of Greater Baton Rouge (1987); Baton Rouge Press Club (1986); the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (1978) and the Baton Rouge Jaycees (1971). He served on the FestForAll Committee of the Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau/Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge for 24 years. In 1971, 1976 and 2019, Martin was honored for excellence in sales by the Sales & Marketing Executive Club. In 1997, the Public Relations Association of Louisiana awarded him its Practitioner of the Year honor.

Honorary pallbearers are members of the board of directors of the Greater Baton Rouge State Fair and the Fair Foundation.

The family extends deep appreciation for the loving care J.H. received at the Butterfly Wing of Hospice of Baton Rouge and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to St. Vincent de Paul.