John Adams Martin, Sr., 71, of Chesterfield, Missouri peacefully passed away on October 18, surrounded by family at his vacation home overlooking the beautiful Gulf of Mexico in Pensacola Beach, FL.  John will always be remembered as a good and honest man, a true southern gentleman who cherished his role as a husband, father, granddaddy, brother, uncle and friend to so many.

John was born on December 3, 1950 to Joe "Pepper" and Martha Virden Martin in Greenville, MS.  John is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Teresa Heiney Martin; three children, John Adams Martin Jr (Lani), Hal Martin (Mackenzie) and Taylor Martin; grandchildren Blair and Harry; sisters Martha Gillis (Bill) and Sally Williams, brother Len Martin (Lisa), mother-in-law Dorothy Heiney, sister-in-law Shelley Miller, brother-in-law Mark Heiney (DeAnn) along with many adored nieces, nephews and cousins.  John is preceded in death by his father, mother and father-in-law, Harold Heiney.

After graduating from Greenville, MS High School, John earned a business degree at Mississippi State University.  He started his career in the marine industry at Alter Barge Line where he worked for over 20 years managing both towboat personnel and the barge maintenance program in Davenport, IA then relocating to Alton, IL.  He was previously married to Cathy Franklin, they had one son together, John Adams Martin, Jr.  Switching gears to pursue a dream, John opened a donut shop and café (Donut Depot) where he mastered the craft of making delicious donuts that brought delight to customers, family and friends.  He continued his career moving into the retail industry and retired in 2010.

John was a man of few words who was authentically and wholeheartedly there for those in his life.  He was so very proud of his family and his Mississippi Delta heritage.  He loved to share stories of "the good old days" and sure loved those delta hot tamales.  John had truly mastered the art of prioritizing life, appreciating the simple things, living every day to the fullest and felt so blessed by all that God had provided to him.

John found great pride and joy in cooking for all his family and friends, including his famous spaghetti, gumbo, chips and all things on the grill.  He loved to travel the Caribbean with Teresa, fish, hunt, listen to Elvis, and was an avid football fan.  While he loved to cheer on his beloved MS State Bulldogs and Dallas Cowboys, his most memorable and cherished football memories were those watching his son, Hal Martin, play quarterback for the Parkway Central Colts.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 26, 5-8 p.m. at Ortmann Stipanovich Funeral Home, 12444 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur Missouri.  Funeral services will be held at Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, 14820 Conway Rd., Chesterfield, MO on October 27 at 10:00 a.m. followed by a celebration of life luncheon.

The family would like to offer a special thank you to the staff at Pensacola Baptist Hospital, Vitas Hospice and to our respiratory therapist angel, Becky.

Ortmann Stipanovich Funeral Home   www.osfuneralhomes.com