Robert Wilson Martin

R. Wilson Martin was born to become an entrepreneur. He jumped into business by delivering newspapers in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 11 years. His routes expanded and by the age of 16, he bought his first car to work his daily rounds. His newspaper route was so successful that he worked his way up to a Cadillac convertible and he owned a Cadillac most of the rest of his life. After graduating from high school, Wilson joined the U.S. Navy in 1946 and served aboard the USS Dayton. He was honorably discharged in 1948; and thereafter attended college on the G.I. bill. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a law degree on June 7, 1953 and after attending summer school graduated in the same year with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences on August 22, 1953. He soon went to work for Humble Oil and Refining (now Exxon) in Corpus Christ, Texas. There he married Beverly Mellem and two children, Kay and Jack, were born of this union. In 1962 Wilson moved to Las Cruces to practice law with his brother, Jimmy Martin, whom he greatly admired. Together with Rufus Garland, another Vanderbilt graduate, they formed the Garland, Martin & Martin Law Firm. Wilson practiced law in Las Cruces from 1962 until 2000, mainly in the fields of real estate, wills, trusts and probate. He established a reputation as an outstanding and knowledgeable attorney in those areas with many of his fellow attorneys seeking his counsel. Probably, the one side of Wilson that most were not aware of was his generous spirit and propensity for helping others. On the outside, he displayed a businesslike exterior but underneath he often helped many in need as well as generously giving to a variety of charities throughout the years, never seeking any recognition for himself. Wilson found his true love with Jackie Pinson, whom many friends and family would proclaim to be "the best thing that ever happened to Wilson". They were married on March 30, 1978. Throughout the years they traveled extensively with friends on cruises, including a trip to Switzerland in 1987 and to France in 2004. Robert Wilson Martin was born to James Thomas Martin, Sr. and Ruth Wilson Martin on October 4, 1928, in Nashville, Tennessee. He and his siblings grew up in the same home as their father had. On March 12, 2015, at the age of 86 years, Wilson passed away peacefully at Memorial Medical Center with family, caregivers and close friends at his bedside. Wilson was preceded in death by his mother and father, his sister Viola Jones and his brother James T. Martin. He will be missed by his wife Jackie, of Las Cruces; his daughter Kay Lynn Killham, his son Jack Wilson Martin, his grandchildren, Jennifer, Amanda and Meghan, and two great grandchildren, Landon and Presley, all residing in the State of California; his nephew Jim T. Martin and wife Kristi, their children Karina and Zachery, of Las Cruces; his nieces Sharon Jones Wickenheiser and Barbara Jones Douglas; his loving caregivers, Maria, Francisco, Carlos and Karina Esparza, and Jessica Esparza Gonzales; his longtime assistant Beverly Robinson; law partner Bill Lutz; and by his employee and longtime friend, Jay de la Torre. A memorial service will be held on Friday May 1, 2015, 11 A.M. at Getz Funeral Home (corner of Bowman and Solano). Following the service, a celebration of life will be held at Picacho Hills Country Club at 12:30 P.M. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to the Dona Ana County Humane Society, Inc. or to the New Mexico Boys & Girls Ranches. PDF Printable Version