Mr. Wallace Glenn (Wally) Martin, 95, of Clover, South Carolina, passed away peacefully on July 27, 2024 at Patriot Living, Taylors, SC.

Mr. Martin was born on August 27, 1928, in Detroit, Michigan to Harold S. Martin and Minnie Collmann (Martin) Hoeppner. He was preceded in death by his sister Marlys J. Schultz, and his wives, Brunhilde (Brunie) L. Beuchert Martin (the mother of their children), Francis “Frankie” R. Bailey Martin and Alyene G. Lucas Martin.

Wally is survived by his son, Eric Steven Martin of Las Vegas, NV; his daughter, Ingrid Anne Martin (Moussa Camara) of Oakland, CA; and his granddaughter, Olivia Glynne Martin of Huntersville, NC.

As a young man growing up in North Central Iowa, Wally was captivated by airplanes and aviation. His first ride in an airplane at age 10 was in a vintage Ford Trimotor aircraft that operated from a field in a local oats farm. After graduating from Manson Iowa High School (age 16, youngest in his class), he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during WWII, and was sent to the Naval Air Technical Training Center at Jacksonville, FL. He attended Aviation Fundamentals and Air Traffic Control schools then was assigned duty at the Naval Air Station, Coco Solo, Panama, Canal Zone. Wally was honored to serve his country and appreciated the fellowship of his community of veterans throughout his life

After his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, he was employed by United Air Lines as a Station Agent, serving in Des Moines, Detroit, Las Vegas and Reno, and by Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in Chicago and Indianapolis.

While working at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Wally met Brunie, his first wife and the mother of their children. In suburban Chicago, he served as President of the Homeowners Assn and was elected to a four-year term as a Trustee on the town Board of Trustees and served as Commissioner of Streets, and Planning and Zoning. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King led to his sponsorship of the first Civil Rights Commission being established in their community of Hanover Park, IL. Wally was a member of Toastmaster’s International and was awarded the 1960 “Toastmaster of the Year” for his award-winning speech “SMILES”.  He was a community minded person who was instrumental in establishing President Eisenhower’s Sister City program between Des Moines, Iowa and Kofu, Japan.

Wally and Brunie left Chicago with their young family when Wally transferred with SAS as District Sales Manager in Indianapolis, IN. They raised their children in Carmel with a life centered on travel, visiting Brunie’s family in Germany and exploring the world. Professionally, Wally also led many groups of retirees throughout the world. After nearly 30 years with SAS, Wally chose an early retirement in 1981 but continued to work as a licensed securities representative with many clients in the Indianapolis and Charlotte areas. Wally continued this work part-time into his 90s.

Wally continued to travel as much as possible in his later years. He visited his children on the west coast, traveled to Washington, DC in 2008 with a Veteran’s group, to Tampa for a dear friend’s memorial in 2021, with Ingrid, and back to Des Moines and Manson, Iowa in October, 2022. These were precious occasions for him.

Wally loved to sing. He sang with the Barbershop Speed Capital Chorus in Indianapolis and the Music Men in Lake Wylie. He also was cast in “Guys and Dolls” in Lake Wylie.  Dad also loved to dance – enjoying an impromptu swing dance with Ingrid’s friend in front of the Bison Paddock in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in 2019 and dancing with a beloved care-giver Retha in his home in Clover in 2023.

Wally’s life was filled with travel and adventure. His family will always remember Wally’s joyful singing, dancing and infinite stories and jokes.

A memorial service will be held at The Journey Church,  Lake Wylie, SC on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 11am followed by graveside services at 2pm, Forest Lawn East, 3700 Forest Lawn Drive, Matthews, NC.   Memorial donations may be made here.

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