Jack Martin

Jack Wesley Martin, 80, a beloved husband, father, Bearpaw, brother, uncle, cousin and friend to so many, passed peacefully at his home on November 5, 2025, after a courageous and hard- fought battle with cancer.

He was born on November 24, 1944, in Commerce, Texas to J.W. and Bernice Martin.

Jack and his family moved to Gordon when he was 14 and graduated from Gordon ISD in 1962. He joined the Texas Army National Guard shortly after graduation and spent 21 years proudly serving our country, retiring as a Sergeant First Class.

Jack married Mary Ruth Holub on November 24, 1967, at the First Baptist Church in Mingus. Soon after, they made Lake Palo Pinto their home where they have happily lived for the last 57 years.

While in high school, Jack worked at the pecan plant in Gordon. After high school, he went to work at Electra in Mineral Wells. A short time later, he worked at Southern Airways in Palo Pinto and spent the rest of his career at Brazos Electric Power Plant on Lake Palo Pinto, where he retired after 38 years.

Jack was a practical jokester, and he made work life and hunting trips fun for all who worked or hunted with him and put up with his witty antics and pranks.

Jack has always been active and on the go since a young age. His rodeo adventures started at the age of 16 with the Gordon FFA. During his younger years, Bull Riding was his passion, and he traveled within a 100-mile radius to compete at different rodeo events. Back then, cowboys didn't wear helmets or vests, so they just held on and hoped for the best. His rodeo days changed when he and Mary married, but he continued with other creative hobbies.

Jack was an avid hunter and fisherman and loved going to the beautiful Colorado mountains with his hunting buddies every year to try and tag a trophy elk. His faithful and loyal mule, Tootsie, would accompany him on many of those pack trips. He also hunted in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico. Jack was also a proud Lifetime Member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), which was formed to preserve wildlife conservation and their habitat, also serving as a committee member for many years.

Jack was a "Jack" of all trades. He has done lots of carpentry, electrical, welding, plumbing, and mechanical work. You name it, and he could do it.

Among his many talents, Jack was a self-taught taxidermist and a darn good one at that. Hunters would travel from all over seeking him out to do their mounts. He took pride in his work and with every mount he preserved, it was done with perfection.

He has always been an animal activist and decided to try his hand at animal rescue. He started volunteering for CARE animal rescue in September 2009, and he and Mary were instrumental in preparing the CARE bus for adoptions, events and various fundraisers. Their fostering attempts failed and those abandoned fur babies found their forever home with them. Moe and Ranger were his favorite sidekicks and loved riding" shotgun" in his pickup truck.

His very favorite passion was being a farmer and rancher. He loved his cows and to this day was giving orders to us all on how to feed and care for them. Dodson Prairie and those cows will never be the same now without him around.

Honoring Jack as his Pallbearers will be Junior Holub, Tim Harmon, Milo Moffit, Clint Holub, Jimmy Blackmer, Wesley Gliddon, Johney Ferrell and Tim Winbourn. Honorary Pallbearers are Butch Ernst, Jim Elmore, Albert Dickson and Clifford Barron.

Jack is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Mary Martin of Lake Palo Pinto, daughter Vicki and husband Bobby Lewallen of San Angelo, his adoring grandkids Valton, Madison and Preston Lewallen, his sister Pam Martin, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Junior and Gail Holub, nephew Tim Harmon, nieces Mindy Scrivner and husband Justin, Taryn Weaver and husband Curtis, great nieces and nephews and very special cousins! He is preceded in death by his parents, J.W and Bernice Martin and in-laws Stephen and Alma Ruth Holub.

Visitation will be held on Monday, November 10 from 6-8pm at the Edwards funeral home in Strawn, Texas.

Services will be held on Tuesday, November 11 at 2 pm at 1946 Dodson Prairie Road at the Dodson Prairie Community Center with burial being at the Dodson Prairie Cemetery. Officiating the service is Pastor Michael Orsini.

A very special thank you to the amazing care team from Alpha Omega Hospice. Melody, Rachelle, Danielle, Spencer, Jamie, Hailey and Tiffany truly are angels on Earth. We appreciate their loving and skilled care in our time of need.

In lieu of flowers, please give donations to CARE Animal Rescue.