Alan Martin

MARTIN, Alan Randall – Passed peacefully on May 24, 2019 at Community Hospice at McGraw Center after a valiant battle with cancer, at age 59.  Loving husband of Lynda Padrta of Neptune Beach; beloved father of Christopher of Jacksonville and Daniel (Caylee) of Mobile, Alabama; proud grandfather to Bastian, Conrad and Henry; son of Marleen Woodbury Martin of Melbourne; predeceased by father Lloyd Monroe Martin; brother of Dana (Verna) of Orlando, Robin Checkwicz (Edward) of Port Orange, Michael Dowdy (Dee) of Melbourne, and Brad (Peter) of Boston.

Born in Boston before moving to Melbourne, FL at 2 weeks of age, he graduated from Melbourne High School in 1977.  He graduated summa cum laude from George Washington University, where he received a BS in Health Science in 1988 from the College of Medicine.

Alan enlisted in the US Navy at age 17, serving 29 years before retiring in 2006 as a Senior Chief Independent Duty Corpsman.  Duty stations during his Navy career included Basic Hospital Corpsman School 1977; Pharmacy Technician School 1978; Mayport Branch Clinic as a Pharmacy Technician 1978-1981; MEDCRU Reserves Orlando 1981-1984; Naval Hospital Charleston as a Pharmacy Technician 1984-1986; Surface Force Independent Duty School, Portsmouth, VA 1986-1987; USS Paiute (ATF-159) as an Independent Duty Corpsman 1987-1990; Advanced Training, San Diego, CA 1990-1991; Medical Inspector/Master Training Specialist at ATG Pearl Harbor, HI 1991-1994, USS DeWert (FFG 45) as head of the Medical Department 1994-1997; Mayport Branch Clinic as the Senior Enlisted Leader/Independent Duty Corpsman 1997-2000; USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) as Medical and Dental Department LCPO 2000-2003; and his twilight tour at Naval Hospital Jacksonville as Senior Enlisted Leader, Independent Duty Corpsman and head of Clinical Services Support Directorate 2003-2006.

Returning to Navy medicine after his military retirement, Alan worked as a civilian Pharmacy Technician at Mayport Branch Clinic before retiring from civil service in 2018.

Alan was a volunteer member of the Neptune Beach Community Development Board.  He was a faithful participant in congregational activities at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, and a happy member of Beaches A1A Parrothead Club for many years.  He enjoyed square dancing with his wife.  He loved riding his motorcycle and had many friends from the Atlantic Beach Vintage Motorcycle Club.  And Alan volunteered at the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, where he assisted young service members with financial counseling and financial crisis management.

A friend to anybody he met, and a valuable source of information that he shared freely, Alan had a large circle of friends who held him in high esteem.  Ever ready with a story or a joke, Alan could start and keep a conversation going.  He enjoyed helping junior military personnel with issues including regulation uniform, professional development, budgeting priorities, and personal life skills.

Visitation on Thursday, May 30, from 4:30 to 6pm, followed by memorial service at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 1801 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach.  Interment with full military honors at Jacksonville National Cemetery on Friday May 31 at 11am.

Sincere thanks to the staff at Baptist Beaches Hospital and Community Hospice for their dedicated and compassionate care. As expressions of sympathy in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Navy - Marine Corps Relief Society or to Community Hospice McGraw Center for Caring.