George Martin

George R. Martin, 84, a resident of Corvallis for the past 44 years, died June 26, 2011 at Regent Court. He was known for his upbeat attitude and offbeat sense of humor. Born Jan. 13, 1927 in Everett, Wash. to deaf parents, Arthur and Rosie Martin, George enlisted in the Navy and spent 1945-46 on a sonar ship in the western Pacific. He attended the University of Washington on the GI bill and earned a Ph.D. in business administration at the University of California Berkeley. George was an accomplished business professional with Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant certifications. He married Kathleen Becker in 1953 in Anchorage, a union of 58 years at his death. They had five children, all Oregon State graduates. George, a former professor of accounting at Oregon State University taught at Northwestern University from 1964-67 before moving to Oregon State in 1967. He retired in 1990 after 23 years at OSU. He had a deep love of family and was a people person with an ability to strike up a conversation with anybody. He was devoted to fitness, a runner in the early 1970s and a lifetime walker who would put in several miles even in his late ‘70s. He loved to dance, follow OSU sports and travel; he and Kathy made multiple cross-country car trips as well as a couple of visits to Asia. Professionally, George thought of himself first and foremost as a teacher. He sometimes went down unconventional paths to pique interest or make a point. He was willing to overlook a student’s mathematical error if the concepts and thought processes were sound. His recall allowed him to name everybody in a large class sitting in assigned seats. His older brother Will died in 2005. George is survived by his wife, Kathy; sisters Anita Wilcox and Norma Ohmert ; son Jeff (Lynne) and grandchildren Nick (Ellie), Tim and Cami; daughter Velvet Withers (Bud) and grandchildren Ryan (Angie) and Brett; son Jim; daughter Alesia Duncombe (Rich) and grandchildren Scott, Todd, Mitchell and Jenessa; son Gary (Karlene) and grandchildren Kerenza and Clay. In his last years, George battled Alzheimer’s Disease. Memorial contributions may be made to the Grace Center, Alzheimer’s Network or Benton Hospice Services. A celebration of life gathering is schedule at 11AM on June 30th in Dennis Hall at the First Presbyterian Church at 9th & Monroe, Corvallis, OR.

Tributes

George Martin

January 13, 1927 - June 26, 2011