Dr. William B. “Bill” Martin
Dec. 27, 2015

Dr. William B. “Bill” Martin, 91, of Greenville, NC, died Sunday, December 27, 2015.

The funeral service will be conducted Sunday at 2 pm at First Presbyterian Church.  Private burial with military honors will be in Pinewood Memorial Park.

Dr. Martin, a native of Pennsylvania, lived his early life in Duquesne and McKeesport, PA.  A veteran of World War II, he served in the United States Navy and was serving on the USS Anne Arundel during the D-Day invasion at Normandy. After his military service he continued his education, receiving an undergraduate degree from Clarion State College, Clarion, Pa., in 1949. In 1950 he began his career in education as an Elementary Teacher in Phoenix, AZ as he continued his own education, eventually completing his doctorate in 1961.

For two years prior to moving to Greenville, he taught Special Education in West Hartford, for which he held a very special place in his heart. He came to East Carolina University as a professor in 1962, where he taught in the College of Education. In 1990 he was honored and named Professor Emeritus.

Dr. Martin was a life member of Kappa Delta Pi International and served as counselor of the Eta Chi Chapter at East Carolina University for more than 25 years.   In 2013, he was awarded the Dr. Thomas E. Musselman Award for Service Excellence and he was inducted as a charter member into the Eleanor Roosevelt Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi.

Dr. Martin’s love for the education of children with special needs also led to community involvement. He was an active member and past president of both the Pitt County and North Carolina Associations for Retarded Citizens. He was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church, where he had served as Camp Director for Disadvantaged Boys for many years. He was also an active member of the Greenville Civitan Club and the American Legion Post #39 in Greenville. In 2014, Dr. Martin was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Dr. Martin was preceded in death by his parents, William and Annie Braidwood Martin and his first wife, Charlotte M. Martin, brothers John, David and Archie and sister Nancy Dodge.

He is survived by: his wife of 13 years, Helen Cuthrell Martin; brother, George Martin, of Rehoboth Beach, DE; and his beloved Schnauzer, Heidi.

The family will receive friends Saturday from 4 to 5:30 PM at Wilkerson Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dr. William B. Martin Scholarship, Kappa Delta Pi Foundation, 3707 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, IN 46268-1158 or to the Youth Program at First Presbyterian Church, 1400 South Elm Street, Greenville, NC 27858.

Online condolences may be given at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com.