Obituary of John Sayre Martin

November 24, 1921 - Surrey, England

January 26, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta
 

John Sayre Martin of Calgary, AB passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at the age of 101 years. 

Born in Surrey, England, he was the eldest son of John Sayre Martin, a manager at Paramount Pictures in London during the silent film era, and of actress Eileen Earl Martin. After the death of his father when John was 13, his mother moved with her two sons to Los Angeles California, where she found work in the growing Hollywood film industry. With their British accents, John and his younger brother Bill were in demand for small roles in early sound movies, including Tom Brown’s School Days (1940). 

During World War II, John served as a US Navy officer in Hawaii. At the war’s close, he returned to his studies of English literature at the University of California, Berkeley where he earned his PhD. In 1952, he took a transatlantic voyage from New York City to France that would change his life: on a tour of the ship, he struck up a conversation with a fellow young passenger in the boiler room, of all places – Constance Stephenson. After the ship docked, they spent the next few weeks falling in love and were married a year later in New York City. 

John and Constance moved to various cities across the US as John took up new teaching positions. Wherever they settled, they formed friendships that lasted for life. Many summers were spent with friends in Stockbridge Massachusetts, where Constance grew up; but the summer of 1961 was passed in New Orleans while John taught at the historically black Dillard University. The racial tensions of the early 60’s prompted him to write to a Cleveland newspaper supporting the Civil Rights movement. A hostile backlash to his letter within their community, however, galvanized him to accept a teaching position in the English Department at the University of Calgary in 1965. John remained a dedicated professor there, beloved and greatly respected by his students, until his retirement in 1992. 

A devoted bird watcher, John enjoyed long walks with his “trusty” binoculars as well as skiing, tennis, hiking with friends, and family vacations in Stockbridge and Europe. His other passions included acting with the UofC Renaissance Singers and supporting the philharmonic and opera. He had an extraordinary speaking voice that he could project without a microphone in the largest auditorium. Even past the age of 100, he could recite Shakespearean sonnets and reams of other English poetry from memory. In his earlier years, John often composed beautiful and sometimes hilarious poems of his own for family and friends.

A kind and gracious soul, John found mirth and beauty everywhere. But perhaps the secret to his longevity was his love of life and the people around him. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather who touched everyone with his warmth, charm, and kindness.

John is survived by his wife Constance, daughters Amy (Matías) and Celia (Bernard), son John, grandsons Sacha, Dimitri, and Damien, granddaughters Anna and Alexandra, great-grandsons Ferdinand and Gustav, and nephew Barnabas.

A Celebration of John’s Life will take place at a later date. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed here.
 

The family would like to thank the staff of the Chinook Care Centre for their exceptional care and support these past few years.

In living memory of John Martin, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.