Earl "Sanders" Martin, 90, of Davidsonville

»Information from the George P. Kalas Funeral Home website.

Earl “Sanders” Martin, 90, a 40-year resident of Davidsonville, and previously of Leechburg, PA, passed away on Thursday, October 8, 2015.

He was born on December 11, 1924 in Avonmore, PA, to the late Alva and Opal Martin. Growing up Earl had many memories of his uncle’s farm and playing baseball. Sanders served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-46. He then worked for Capital Airlines and Mt. Vernon Research before starting a successful 30-year career in Contract Maintenance at the Goddard Space Flight Center for NASA.

He was a faithful member of the Grace Lutheran Church in Bowie, St. Martins Lutheran Church in Annapolis, and Annapolis Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was gifted and shared many of his woodwork with family, friends and the churches he was a member at.

In retirement Earl and Margaret loved traveling, enjoyed woodworking and creating crafts that he and his wife gave as presents or sold at different markets, he loved flying, gardening, he was a Cub Scout leader, later a Boy Scout leader, and he loved the Redskins and Orioles, and his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates.

Earl is survived by his wife of 61 years, Margaret Zimmerman Martin; his children, Jeffrey Alan of Denver, CO, Terence Lee (Mary-Angela) of Greensboro, MD, Deborah Gay Martin Irby of Dothan, AL and Sandra Ruth (David) Hemphill of Edgewater, MD. Earl is a proud grandfather of Max, Sam, Luke, Julia, and Jonathan Martin, Matthew and Timothy Hemphill, Matthew Sanders Irby and Emily Vander Ark.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, October 17, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 31 Rowe Blvd. in Annapolis, from noon until his funeral service begins at 1 p.m. A graveside service will be held on Monday, October 19 at 1 p.m. at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, 1030 Pleasant Hill Road in Leechburg, PA.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Annapolis Lutheran Church, 1203 West St., Ste. F, Annapolis, MD 21401.