In Memoriam: Winfried Karl "Marty" Martin

Marty Martin of Chardon, Ohio, died Sept. 20, 2002, at the age of 79. Marty oversaw and maintained the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio, as its superintendent for 15 years. While at the arboretum, he developed a summer intern program bringing young students of horticulture from abroad to work and live at the arboretum.

Marty was born in Germany and drafted into the army at the age of 19, serving on the Russian front until he was wounded and returned to Germany. Recovering in the hospital he met his wife, Liselotte. After the war he worked as a forester in Germany, but in 1953 he and his wife emigrated to the United States, and, after working for General Electric for 15 years, was hired by the Holden Arboretum as superintendent until his retirement in 1989.

After his retirement, he devoted himself to the cultivation of woody plants, including more than 200 rhododendrons at his home in Chardon. As members of the ARS, he and his wife attended conferences, met breeders and growers, and formed friendships with like-minded people, including David Leach. Marty's wife recalls tha he was one of the ardent spokesmen for the Holden Arboretum when Dr. Leach made his decision to entrust his rhododendron collection to the arboretum.

Marty Martin was also a member of the Rhododendron Society of Canada, the American Rock Garden Society, the Northeast Heather Society and the International Lilac Society. He belonged to the Sierra Club, the Geauga County Humane Society and the International Association of Superintendents of Botanical Gardens.