We mourn the loss of our husband, brother, and friend, Scott Lee Martin. He was born on New Year’s Day 1955 in Vancouver, BC and died on September 10, 2015 at the age of 60. Scott was the third child of Kenny & Sweetie Martin. He is survived by his loving wife of 18 years, Kim Martin; his sister, Sally Martin; and members of the McNamee family. He was preceded in death by his parents, and by his older brother, Tom Martin.
Scott was very musically talented as we all know. He was a self-taught guitar player; he loved to jam with his friends but also was a member of quite a few bands and combos. He appreciated all kinds of music but guitar riffs were his favorite.
In addition to music, Scott was also had a phenomenal grasp of everything mechanical. From a very young age he would tinker with small engines and take apart everything possible in the house just to see how it worked. His expertise helped many of us out–by making our old mechanical things go again–cars, vans, lawn mowers, motorcycles, jet skis, anything that required gas to go, he could make work again.
Scott was just three years old when he launched himself down the hill in front of the family home on a two wheeler with no brakes. He got some good air but couldn’t stop and went off the twenty foot drop to the driveways below. This was his first taste of riding and even though he was a very safe and capable driver as an adult, he was a speed demon in his teen years and had the scars to prove it. He loved motorcycles and he loved going on long trips with his Kim holding on behind.
He was able to parlay his mechanical abilities to work as an instructor at Lake Washington VocTech where he taught classes in small engines along with motorcycle maintenance and repair. He could share his love with those students, always giving them creative applications for problem solving. And, he broke up a biker fight every now and then as he was the coolest head in the room. Scott loved teaching and sharing his know-how with all manner of students. Many times he was a guest speaker teaching Kim’s students elementary students over the years.
Because of his creative mind, Scott was involved in a variety of entrepreneurial businesses. He sandblasted signs for a time as an off-shoot of his dad’s Omar the Woodcarver waterfront shop. Scott made marker signs for the Alaskan Iditarod race as well as many corporate building signs around the area. He loved working with his hands.
We are so very sad that he had to leave us but if you knew Scott you’d know that he would want us to have a big belly laugh, hang out with friends, go for a ride, or just crank up the music really loud–that’s what he’d do to find joy.