Harold Thaine “Bud” Martin passed away quietly at his home in Port Townsend on August 8, 2019 with family members present. He was 82 years old and had Parkinson’s disease for the past 12 years.
Bud was born on Lawrence St. in Port Townsend on January 29, 1937 to Lelah Louvina (Feldmeier) and Cecil Vaughn Martin. He was a graduate of Port Townsend High School in 1956, and played basketball and football while in high school.
He met his future wife at the Rhododendron Festival carnival in May of 1957. On February 2, 1958 he married L. Eileen Knapp at the Gardiner Community Church. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there in 2008, hosted by their sons. They were honored by the Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival as Grand Marshalls for the parade that year with the theme of “Happily Ever After”.
Upon graduation, he worked for the IGI grocery store on upper Sims Way, then in Mount Vernon for Libby, McNeil and Libby, and back to Port Townsend at the Crown Zellerbach mill. In 1962 he started working for the U.S. Forest Service in Quilcene planting trees, putting in trails, and worked his way quickly to being a crew foreman, and later to Forestry Tech. During his 22 year career he went on many wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. For eleven summers a helicopter was on the district, he was the Heli-tack foreman and was flown many miles patrolling the Olympic Mountains for fires. His career was cut short in 1982 by a chemical deficiency caused by the smoke he inhaled on all those fires.
Bud enjoyed many hobbies during his retirement, gardening, carving, collecting miniature cars, stamps and HO trains. The one he enjoyed the most was tracing his family tree, and was a member of the Jefferson County Genealogical Society.
He leaves his widow, Eileen at the family home, sons Rick and Jeff (and Teresa) in Port Townsend, and son Brian in Port Angeles. Five grandchildren, Jaikob, Ashley, Breanna, Brittany, and Tyler. Step-grandsons Derek and Danny Thompson. Great grandchildren, Trinity, Evelyn, Hope, Joy, Aliyah, and Alexzina. Step great grandchildren, Olivia, Tessa and Jackson Thompson.
He is survived also by his siblings, Lou Mullins and Robert Martin of Port Townsend; many nieces and nephews. Preceded by his parents Lelah and Cecil Martin, brothers Meril, Don, Ed, sisters Leona and Betty.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in the Oscar Erickson Building on August 31st from 1pm - 4pm. Bud was cremated and his cremains will be placed at the Gardiner Cemetery at a later time.
Memorial can be made to the Jefferson County Genealogical Society, PTHS Alumni Association, Hospice, ECCHO or to a favorite charity of your choice in Jefferson County.
