Thomas "Tom" John Martin

Thomas John Martin, of Goodyear, Arizona, passed away on July 13th in Phoenix, Arizona. He was born on June 29, 1942, in Washington, Iowa, to Robert (Bob) Martin and Mildred Martin (Peters). Tom was raised in Moline, Illinois, the oldest of three children. He dreamed of being a cowboy, faithfully delivered the Moline Dispatch, loved visiting his grandparents’ farm, and loved being a big brother to Dickie Jo and Diane. He earned a B.A. from Monmouth College, where he pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon and participated in a fair amount of shenanigans. Later, he received an M.B.A. from Northern Illinois University. After college, Tom joined the Peace Corps and served in Nigeria, Africa, in community development. Upon returning to the U.S., he taught school in Chicago, served as Assistant Director of Admission for Monmouth College, and married Rosemary Stockton. Although they later divorced, they raised two daughters, Meeghan and Erin. In 1973, the family moved to Arizona, where Tom began teaching at Glendale Community College. He spent most of his career at Mountain Bell (later AT&T) as a sales and marketing account manager and corporate training manager. After retiring, he worked as a technical writer and illustrator for the Boeing Apache helicopter program. Tom was an active member of the Copperstate Mustang Club for over 25 years, serving as Director and President. He presided over many a pancake breakfasts and used his deep, booming voice to play Santa Claus at the annual holiday party. Through the club, he helped raise funds for charity and supported a Ford scholarship at Glendale Community College. He was a devoted and delightful grandfather, affectionately known as "Papa" by his six grandchildren. He made Halloween costumes, took them to McDonald’s for ice cream and napkin drawings, and brought them along as elves when he played Santa. In later life, Tom enjoyed many friendships and shared many wonderful memories with Joan Milman, who brought great joy and creativity into his life. He had a passion for classic cars, genealogy, history, Western art, and music, and was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He was a great collector of things and dabbled in many hobbies and interests. Tom is survived by his sister, Diane Ballard (m. to David Ballard); his sister-in-law, Donna Martin; his daughters, Meeghan Martin and Erin Martin (m. to Andy Stauffer); and his six grandchildren: Rileigh Frazer, Max Oransky, Addison Stauffer, Harper Oransky, Sophie Oransky, and Brayden Stauffer. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Mildred Martin; his brother, Richard Martin; and his son, Brock Martin. A visitation will be held at Thompson’s Funeral on Monday, July 28th at 10:00 a.m., followed by a service at 11:00 a.m.

Thomas "Tom" John Martin

June 29, 1942 - July 13, 2025