NORWAY – John A. Martin, 80, died on March 29 at Maine Medical Center, surrounded by his wife, Gail, and three children, Terry, Tamara, and Amy.

He was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, on Oct. 13, 1938, to Lewis H. and Bernice A. (Small) Martin. He was six when his brother, Richard, was born. He grew up in Pownal, Freeport and then Gray through his adolescence and graduated from Pennell Institute in 1957.

John met the love of his life, Gail Elaine Hodgkin, in the summer of 1960 at Cole Farms Restaurant in Gray, where he got to know her (and tease her) while she waited his table. They became engaged and eventually married on April 27, 1962, at John’s parent’s home in Gray.

John and Gail wasted no time and soon had their first child, Terry John, in November 1962. They then had Tamara Susan in Sept. 1967 and Amy Rebecca in February 1973. The family lived in Gray for the first 11 years of the marriage. They then moved in 1974 to a home in New Gloucester, where John and Gail would live for the next 31 years.

John was proud of his work and had a great work ethic for any challenges that came his way. He started as an attendant at gas stations with his father and went on to work at American Can Company in Portland and then at General Electric in South Portland.

John was a voracious sports fan – basketball, baseball, football, you name it. He loved visiting the Martin family camp in Bethel, a vacation tradition that was enjoyed by him and his family from 1969 to 2015. The family could often be found exploring the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the summer. He was a film buff and loved everything from musicals to Disney movies. He was a lover of history, which was expressed through his extensive library of American history books. Last, but not least, he was a friend of Bill’s for 37 years.

John enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren whenever he could, attending birthdays, sports events, dance and music recitals, plays and family get-togethers.

After living with their daughter, Amy for a few years, John spent his final decade with Gail at a quaint apartment in Rustfield Village, Norway. He was a loyal and devoted husband to Gail for nearly 57 years and fought his hardest to stay with her, their children and their grandchildren, who were with him at the end.

John was predeceased by his father, Lewis and his mother, Bernice.

He is survived by his wife, Gail; his brother, Richard; his son, Terry, and wife, Kathy, his daughter, Tamara Douglas, his daughter, Amy Martin; and his grandchildren, Dylan, Sean, Mason, Sarah, Samuel, and Charlotte.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 5, at noon at Chandler Funeral Home, 45 Main Street, South Paris.

Online condolences may be shared with his family at www.chandlerfunerals.com

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his name may be made to the www.michaeljfox.org or www.bbrfoundation.org.