Cleveland "Jack" T. Martin

Cleveland T. "Jack" Martin, 96, of Topeka, passed away on April 10, 2017, at Midland House hospice care in Topeka. He was born on the Martin family farm in the southeast corner of Jackson County on October 12, 1920, the son of Cleveland Taylor Martin and Mabel Rose (Stone) Martin. Cleve was known as "Jack" by his immediate family.

He attended South Star School, a one-room, rural grade school. He then graduated from Meriden High School in 1938, and served as Machinist Mate First Class aboard the USS-21 Block Island aircraft carrier during WWII, where his specialty was refrigeration and air conditioning. He survived when his ship was sunk by a German submarine in the Atlantic Ocean on May 29, 1944. Cleve then served aboard the USS-106 Block Island, the replacement carrier, in the Pacific theatre, and was honorably discharged from the Navy in December 1945.

Upon returning to Kansas, Cleve attended barber college in Kansas City, serving his apprenticeship and becoming a journeyman barber at a shop in downtown Alma, KS.

Cleve married Hazel Geraldine Miller in August 1947, and moved his family, including his young daughter, Carol Elaine, to Topeka in 1950, beginning a long career as barber at the Colmery-O'Neil VA Hospital. He worked evenings and Saturdays at Seabrook Barber Shop for a number of years and, later, at Fairlawn Plaza Barber Shop. He retired from his NARFE job in 1977, and retired entirely from barbering about two years later.

Cleve enjoyed staying physically active. He played on a farm baseball team with his brothers when young. He hunted quail and pheasants with his pet Brittany spaniels and played horseshoes in the 1950s. In the 1960s he embraced the sports of bowling and golf, playing both well into his 90s

He was also an avid volunteer. After retiring he helped Topeka Red Cross transport people to doctor appointments, helped deliver children to Shriners' Hospital in St. Louis, served meals at Washburn University to earn money for University Methodist Church, and helped with bingo at Philip Billard VFW Post #1650 in the Westboro neighborhood on Wednesday and Friday nights.

He is survived by his brother Bob, his daughter Carol (Max) Yoho; three step-grandsons, Alex, Stuart and Nick; five great-grandchildren, six great great grandchildren, and 26 nieces and nephews.

Cleve was preceded in death by his parents and his wife; five brothers, Chris, Lewis, Harry, George, and Bill; by infant sisters Elsie, Ruth and Bertha; and by sisters Roberta (Martin) Sooter and Bonnie (Martin) Hope.

He will be remembered by family as one of the sweetest, hardest-working, supportive and honest of men. He will be greatly missed.

Funeral Services will be Friday, April 14, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. at Davidson Funeral Home. Visitation will be Friday at noon, prior to the service.

Memorial contributions may be made to University Methodist Church or the Philip Billard VFW Post, and sent in the care of Davidson Funeral Home.