Bobby Jewel Martin

Bobby Jewel Martin passed away January 16, 2016. Bob was born in Hughes Springs, TX on April 18, 1926 to Burgie Byron Martin and Etta Lee Mitchell. On July 10, 1944 he enlisted in the US Army, serving 2 years in 11th Airborne, achieving the rank of Staff Sargent. On September 2, 1945 he served as an Honor Guard with the 11th Airborne Division Reconnaissance Battalion presenting arms as Allied representatives arrived to board destroyer Buchanan for battleship USS Missouri. On February 14, 1950, he married the girl of his dreams, Nancy Pruett Martin and they were married for 65 years. Bob worked for Powell & Powell Engineering and Great Southwest Corporation as a surveyor, involved in projects throughout the Dallas area, but his most significant accomplishment was surveying of Six Flags Over Texas, and the Greater Southwest Industrial District. Bob retired from the City of Grand Prairie as a engineer technician. Bob was a member of the 11th Airborne Association and looked forward to attending the annual Airborne conventions. He attended First Baptist Church of Grand Prairie for the past 40 years. On April 4, 2014 Bob was selected for the DFW Honor Flight. He was so excited and proud to be able to share in this overnight trip to Washington, DC honoring WWII Vets which included visits to the WWII, Korean, Vietnam, Marine (Iwo Jima), Navy and Air Force Memorials and Arlington Cemetery. Bob was a kind hearted, quiet and reserved man who enjoyed football, gardening, reading, and watching old westerns on TV. Bob is preceded in death by his mother: Etta Lee Michell Martin; father: Burgie Byron Martin; sisters: Irma Byrd, Ida Bass, Margaret Silipini, Virginia Kessler; brother: Jim Martin. He is survived by his wife Nancy J. Martin; chidren: Jack Darwin, Patrice Weeks and her husband Ben, Glenn Martin; grandchildren: Philip Darwin, Kevin Weeks, Lindsay Kosarek and her husband Ryan, Nathan Martin, Kylee Martin, Chad Gatlin and his wife Amy. great-grandchildren: Ashlynn Darwin, Jordan Darwin, Brayden Martin, Marshall, Blake and Anna Gatlin