Many friends on St. John were recently saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend, Marty Freeman. We will certainly miss his playful spirit and fine sense of humor.
Marty passed from us on Monday night, June 2, at his home on St. John while recovering from a stroke which he suffered six months prior. Marty was with friends when he suddenly and quietly left us.
Marty was born on Sept. 19, 1945, in Brooklyn, NY. As a basketball enthusiast, he played for his high school and went on to play varsity basketball for Syracuse University, during the years when his team won numerous major tournaments. Marty greatly enjoyed a recent reunion with his fellow Orangemen, many of whom went on to distinguished careers in the sport. After graduating from Syracuse, Marty went on to graduate from law school.
Marty married Marsha Freeman and was blessed with two daughters, Mariel and Jordan. His family recently enjoyed the birth of a son to Mariel, making Marty a proud grandfather.
While living in the states, Marty owned and operated a successful laundry service, Capitol Laundry of Trenton, N.J., which became a source of many humorous stories which Marty loved to tell. He was also very active in local politics and government, and enjoyed helping his community. Marty later joined John Panzer at Sulcus Computer Company of Greensburg, Penn., where he worked in the growing technology field.
When he left Sulcus, John Panzer suggested that he should go down to St. John. And so, Marty moved to St. John about 25 years ago with his friend, "Trinidad Charlie" Deyalsingh. From there, Marty moved on to be a live-aboard boater in our Cruz Bay Harbor, before finally living back on land at his friend John Panzer’s house in Bethany.
Marty worked at several jobs while living on St. John: as a bartender, doing construction, working at the Westin. As a tennis player and tennis enthusiast, he worked with his friend Patrick Alle at the Caneel Bay Tennis Center during the years that Caneel Bay was honored as the No. 1 Tennis Resort in the Caribbean, and No. 5 in the world. He was instrumental in achieving this rating for Caneel Bay’s tennis program because he cheerfully enjoyed serving the guests and fellow tennis players. While at Caneel Bay, every Saturday morning you would see him and his friend, Steve Black, hitting tennis balls. Finally, Marty’s last employment was working for Ric and Lolita at their store, Now and Zen, in Wharfside Village, a job he loved because Marty loved the interaction he had with the visitors who came into the store.
Many of us who knew Marty also knew of his passion for reading. He was an extremely avid reader and a very bright guy, who found great joy in books, magazines and The New York Times, and would quickly share with us interesting stories from his readings. His fascination for ideas and having discussions made Marty a most remarkable person to converse with regardless of the topic.
His close friends will miss his goofball jokes and his charming character, his quick wit and handsome smile. May Marty rest in peace as we fondly remember him. You will be missed Marty.
There will be a gathering in Celebration of Marty’s Life 3-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, at Hawksnest Beach. Please come and share a moment with Marty’s daughters and everyone who wishes to remember our dear friend.