John Paul Martin, 79, passed away on June 6, 2017, in The Dalles, Ore., saying a short and beautiful goodbye to his wife Rosa and loving family members.

He was born July 22, 1937, and raised in The Dalles Ore., as the youngest of three bright children; sister Ruth Artz and brother Bill Martin. They were raised on the family ranch out on Mill Creek Road by their caring parents; Bill and Geraldine Martin. At the young age of 19, John took on the farming duties of the ranch himself raising seven children in a country lifestyle filled with cherries, livestock, gardens and laughter.

Together, his band of seven were a site to be seen around town, a brood of six strong boys and the youngest being a little girl. They were all nurtured by their loving and hard-working mother Vera Mae. The children were all named with the letters “J”.

John Martin is survived by children and spouses John Martin Jr. (Hazlyn), Joe Martin (Tara), Jeff Martin (Laurie), James Martin (Molli), Jerry Martin (Heather) and Julie Martin. He tragically lost his second son Jay Martin in a 1986 traffic accident.

John tirelessly took the children on many great vacations, often comically dressing all the boys identical so they could be found in a crowd. Loading the mob into a large van with a travel trailer, they headed to many of the great west coast destinations. Thus, he endowed his passion for travel to his children, a trait they share together today. He played legendary football games with them in the yard and passed on his sense of humor by teaching them to all think and chuckle.

In the 1970’s his interest turned to the community of The Dalles and he moved his family to town to pursue his passion for real estate. He found great success in helping others find their dream home and he reinvested his success into a small empire of rental properties. As a member on The Dalles City Council, he loved contributing to the vision of The Dalles and working closely alongside the graceful Mayor, John Lundell.

In 1982, he left The Dalles to contribute to the expansion of his brother’s wholesales business in Aberdeen, Wash. This allowed him to be closer to his brother and his great love of the beaches while continuing to expand his sales prowess. During this time, he helped raise his two step-daughters; Jenny and Tessie Bull.

Later in life his passion for the beach and travel lead him to long stays in Puerto Vallarta where he charmed his way into the life of Rosa Romero in 2005. Rosa and John were married surrounded by family in Astoria, Ore., on April 1, 2007, showing his sense of humor when he did not explain to his wife that the date in the United States is April Fool’s Day!

John and Rosa had many glorious years following the path of the sun in their RV, wintering with friends in Mexico and Yuma. They filled their summers by gardening at their residence in The Dalles while enjoying the company of their good friends at The Dalles Eagles.

John was a father to nine children, leading to 14 grandchildren and, so far, nine great-grandchildren. He is survived by his brother Bill (Joan) and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Bill and Geraldine Martin; sister Ruth Artz; son Jay Martin and grandson Andrew Martin.

He was an inspiration to family and friends as a goodhearted person who would give humanity the benefit of the doubt. He cared more about love and life than money.

John will be remembered in service at 12 p.m., July 1, at Spencer, Libby and Powell in The Dalles, Ore., followed by a graveside service at Three Mile Road Cemetery. Following the graveside service, all are invited to the Sunshine Mill for a celebration of John’s life.