Lt Colonel William "Bill" H. Martin

Lt Colonel William “Bill” H.  Martin, 77, of Lynn Haven, Florida, passed away on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.

Bill was born in Olney, Illinois and spent his childhood growing up in various small towns in Southwest Illinois.  After graduating from Greenville High School, he attended Western Illinois University until he joined the United States Air Force in 1969.  During his nearly three-decade long military career he earned numerous unit awards and campaign medals as well as various commendation medals.   He truly enjoyed the traveling component of his military career, and he loved experiencing all the various cultures the world had to offer.  Despite his career success in the US Air Force, Bill’s proudest achievements were his 51-year marriage to the love of his life, Janice, raising his three sons, Kevin, Sean and Shane, and getting to spend time with his grandchildren. 

When not traveling the globe or surrounded by his family, Bill’s favorite past times included getting comfortable on the sofa with a good book, indulging in as many delicious meals as he could find and spending quality time with his numerous friends.  He was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan and keeping tabs on his beloved redbirds was never too far from his mind. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Florence Martin (Yockey). 

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Janice Martin of Lynn Haven; three sons, Kevin Martin and wife, Kathryn, of Jacksonville, Sean Martin and wife, Jill, of Sarasota, and Shane Martin, of Palmdale, Ca; two sisters, Brenda Diveley and husband, Larry, of Highland, IL and Shirley Shaw, of Greenville, IL; three grandchildren, Dylan Martin of Sarasota, Morgan Martin of Sarasota, and Jarrod Allen of Glendale, Ca.

A memorial service for Lt. Col Martin will be held at Kent-Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Cemeteries on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 1 PM.    In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in memory of Lt. Col. William H. Martin.

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