Louis Howe Martz

Born in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, Mr. Martz was a combat veteran of World War II, serving as a rifleman with the 106th Infantry Division in France, Belgium and Germany and surviving the Battle of the Bulge during the winter of 1944-45.

After the war he remained in the reserves, first with the Pennsylvania National Guard and later with the Air Force Reserve. He retired from the military on July 17, 1981 as a Chief Master Sergeant after 31 years of service in the Army and Air Force.

Mr. Martz moved to Jacksonville from Springfield, Virginia, in 1984 after retiring from the civil service. He had worked for a number of years as a fuels procurement specialist for the Air Force at the Pentagon.

An avid outdoorsman and canoeist, he was active in the North Florida chapter of the Florida Trail Association. He also was a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the 106th Infantry Division Association and the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Association.

Mr. Martz was predeceased by his loving wife of 75 years, Beatrice Jean Martz. He is survived by three children: Bonnie Smedley (Ruth McGarry) of Jacksonville, Florida; Ron Martz (Mary) of Cumming, Georgia; and Lee Martz (Gwen) of Middletown, Pennsylvania; nine grandchildren: Kent Smedley (Amy) of Jacksonville, Florida; Brent Smedley of Jacksonville, Florida; Christopher Martz of Marietta, Georgia; Colin Martz of Dallas, Georgia; Veronica Martz (Victor Montealegre) of Roswell, Georgia; Morgan Warren of Cumming, Georgia; Jamie Lamb (Phil) of Middletown, Pennsylvania; Rebecca Hoover (Bryan) of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; and Jonathan Martz (April) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Martz also had seven great-grandchildren, Camie and Kaitie Smedley and Brooke Baggett (James) of Jacksonville, Florida; Eleanor Montealegre of Roswell, Georgia; and Isabella,

Louisa and Judah Lamb of Middletown, Pennsylvania; and two great-great-grandchildren; Christopher and Elijah Sears of Jacksonville, Florida.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 26 at 11 a.m. at the Hardage-Giddens Greenlawn Funeral Home, 4300 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida, 32207.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Louis Martz’s name to the “Camie Smedley GoFundMe” account at https://www.gofundme.com/continuing-camies-medical-care. Camie, one of Mr. Martz’s great-grandchildren, was critically injured in an automobile accident in December 2015 and remains hospitalized.