Ronnie Martin

Ronald Leon Martin, better known as "Funny Man," was born in Houston, Texas on October 13, 1942. He was the son of Volney Leon Martin and Bertie Ella Irwin Martin, and joined this world as the little brother of Gail Dean Martin. Ronnie attended Houston public schools and graduated in 1961 from Jesse H. Jones High School. He attended the University of Houston as an architecture major, but in 1964 decided to join the apprenticeship program of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The IBEW offered good paying electrical jobs, excellent training, stability and provided a good retirement for its members. He developed many friendships in the business and always appreciated the union.

He became a journeyman electrician and stayed active in that trade until he retired in 2005. His life as a journeyman electrician took him in many different directions. In 1976, he went to work for Fluor Constructors to work on the Alaska Pipeline. This proved to be a very unique experience. After his return from the pipeline, he started his own business, Martin Electrical Services. He was the owner of that business from 1979 to 1986.

Ronnie met Elizabeth Anne Bloomquist in high school in 1961. They married in 1964 and were married until 2005. From that marriage, they had two beautiful daughters, Stacey Elizabeth and Keri Anne. He loved them dearly and always taught them to have some fun. Growing up, it was not uncommon for him to chase them with a play dart gun, encourage them to jump between the beds while staying in a hotel and get in the middle of the kitchen floor for a dice game. He loved to play cutthroat Monopoly, and he taught both girls to play chess. He learned to play in high school and was a member of the Chess Club. It was a game he continued to play the rest of his life, and he was always looking for a chess partner. Interestingly enough, he played a game of chess with his granddaughter, Trieste, shortly before he passed away. It was one of the best days of his life!

Ronnie truly earned the name "Funny Man"! He always had an arsenal of jokes. He loved telling them, and he also loved hearing them from others. He loved to laugh and was the life of every party. He had many interests. He could play Domino games and poker all day and all night. He loved to play pool and entered many pool tournaments and won. He loved camping, RVs, motorcycles, fishing and hunting. He especially loved horses and always wished he had one. He loved people...he just had the best personality and laugh. To all who knew him, he was just plain fun to be around.

Ronnie had another very special nickname other than Funny Man. It was given to him by his precious grandchildren, Trieste and Knox. They called him “Pickle”, and he loved it! He adored his grandchildren and spent many hours at their beach house in Galveston playing games and just hanging out. He loved Galveston. In fact, he had previously lived there for many years before moving back to Houston.

Ronnie was dearly loved and will be missed by those who had the pleasure of knowing him. He is survived by his daughter, Stacey Elizabeth Martin, his daughter Keri Anne Rowell and son-in-law, Chris, his two grandchildren, Trieste and Knox. He leaves a loving sister, Gail Pollock, and husband, Len, brothers, Bobby Martin, Joe McDaniel and his wife Dian, and his ex-wife, Anne. He leaves many cousins, nieces and nephews...all who will always remember Uncle Ronnie, the Funny Man.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Bertie Hoffman, his father, Volney Martin, his brother, Gary McDaniel and his sister, Cheryl McLane.

He will be terribly missed by his best friends, Mark and Lura Padgett. The family would like to thank them for their steadfast love and devotion to Ronnie. They visited him every week during his last year and gave him so much hope, laughter and love.

His memorial service will be held on his birthday, October 13, 2023, at Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home, The Woodlands, Texas 18000 I-45 S, The Woodlands, TX 77384, at 11:00 a.m. Reception to follow. Officiating the service will be Joe Lee McDaniel, Ronnie's brother.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like for you to consider a donation to Autism Speaks or one of the following:

Rockride.org reiningstrength.org or indigohorse.org/lessons

All of these are associated with giving children with autism the ability to enjoy horses and the therapy that they provide.

Please share your fond memories and kind expressions of sympathy for the Martin family at https://www.mem.com/memorysharing/eb8f2ad0-cc41-402c-b472-e0a169d61968?lang=en

Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home is honored to serve this family.