Clifford G.Martin

Clifford G. Martin, Lt. Col. USAF (Retired), age 88, of Greenville, died Saturday, November 24, 2012 at Hunt Regional Medical Center.  Funeral mass will be Wednesday, November 28, 2012, at 10:00 AM at St. William Catholic Church with Rev. Paul Weinberger officiating.  Rosary will be 6:00 PM, Tuesday at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home Chapel with visitation following until 8:00 PM.  Interment with full military honors will be at Memoryland Memorial Park.

Mr. Martin was born in Santa Barbara, California on October 25, 1924.  He was the son of John Clifford Martin and Helen Vasquez Martin.  He served in the Pacific Theater during World War II as a radio operator on a B29.  He was married to the former Ernestine Shaddox for 63 years, being married on December 18, 1949 in Shreveport, Louisiana.  He was a pilot in the U. S. Air Force retiring in 1969 at the rank of Lt. Colonel.  After retirement from the Air Force, he was a manager at E-Systems in Greenville.  Mr. Martin was a member of St. William Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.

Survivors include his wife, Ernestine Martin of Greenville; sons, Clifford Martin, Jr. and wife, Laura of Clovis, New Mexico and Philip Martin of Austin; daughter, Mary Appleby and husband, John of Scottsdale, Arizona; brothers, Lawrence Gradias and Ronald Gradias, both of Prescott Valley, Arizona; sister, Laverne Welch of Seattle, Washington; grandchildren, Alden Hultgren and husband, Hubert of San Francisco and Shannon Appleby of San Francisco. 

Members of the Knights of Columbus will serve as honorary pallbearers.

The family requests memorials be made to Wounded Warrior Project.org, or P. O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675.