Charles John Martin died at 5:00 p.m. on December 28, 2022. Born in Sloatsburg, NY, he was the son of the late Kenneth Irving and Jean Law McInnes Martin and husband of the late Carole Jean Rising.
Charles is a graduate of Union College, class of 1956. He received his master’s degree from Michigan State in 1957 and his doctorate in mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic in 1961. He was a mathematician, university professor and university administrator. During his long academic career, Charles worked on research projects for the Apollo space program, the interaction of solid and fluid mechanics and mathematical models of the human cardiovascular system, among others. He has received research grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation and reviewed research proposals for the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences. From 1968 until his retirement in 2005, Charles within 2 years became a full professor at Michigan State University and founded the Applied Mathematics and Department of Physics (Western Carolina University), then developed the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (WCU) . moved to Florida and became Dean of the College of Engineering and Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he then became Provost, Dean of the Faculty and retired as Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Mathematics (ERAU). Throughout his career, Charles has made numerous contributions to higher education and applied mathematical research as a member of several professional societies. An educator to the end, in his last Christmas letter to friends and family, he described his astonishment at the “amazing feat of engineering” of the James Webb Telescope, which was “positioned in orbit at a Lagrange point nearly a million miles from us.” .
Along with his late wife, with whom he was 62, “Charlie” and Carole taught Sunday schools and youth groups in churches in New York, Massachusetts and Michigan. They served with Boy Scout programs in Michigan and North Carolina, assisted their two sons, Scott and Keith, in becoming Eagle Scouts, and then assisted Keith’s sons, Tyler and Casey, in becoming Eagle Scouts in their turn. Charlie and Carole have established successful Friendship Family Programs at both Western Carolina University and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, providing welcome homes away from home for many international students, while meeting new “sons and daughters” from around the world bring forth world.
Charlie is survived by his beloved sons Scott David Martin (and daughter-in-law Susan) and Keith Bradley Martin (and daughter-in-law Rita); his grandchildren Tyler, Casey, Ava, Lauren, Trey, Jason and Natasha; and his great-grandchildren Hendrix, Max, Wolf and Charlie. Charlie will be remembered with great love and admiration by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who will forever benefit from his direct, practical advice on all things.
He will be remembered for his kindness to friends and family, his tender and devoted care for his wife Carole, his delightful sense of humor, his never-ending fascination with mathematics, science, physics, engineering, and his ever-present book recommendations.
A memorial service is planned. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to one of the following organizations:
Volusia-Flagler Hospice
The Helen Rising Fund at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 85 Chestnut St. Albany New York
The Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Ave Cleveland OH 44195
Development Department, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester MN 55905”
Posted January 06, 2023
Published in the Daytona Beach News-Journal
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