Obituary

MARTIN, A. Edwin, 91, died March 13, 2023. Beloved husband, father and grandfather, he is survived by his wife of 69 years, Milly Renn Martin; his daughters, Beth Sturm (Rory) and Jennifer Lemler (Scott); and his grandchildren, Renn Elizabeth Lemler, Quinn Martin Lemler and Casper James Sturm.

Ed was a proud chemist with degrees from Franklin & Marshall (B.S.), UCLA (M.S.) and UNC at Chapel Hill (Ph.D.). He was a longtime member of the American Chemical Society, starting as an undergrad and ultimately serving in various leadership positions. He devoted his career to the pharmaceutical industry, beginning at Pfizer and ending as a Vice President of Research at A.H. Robins.

The son of a Presbyterian minister, Ed was an active member of several local Presbyterian churches, for many years serving New Covenant Presbyterian as an elder, choir member and teacher, and representing the congregation at the local and national level.

Ed was active in the community, serving on multiple boards including the Science Museum of Virginia and the State Labs of Virginia. In the latter role, he was especially proud of his input which led to the consolidation of the state laboratory facilities and the continued development of their forensic analytical capabilities. He volunteered as a math tutor at Falling Creek Middle School.

Some of his fondest recollections include 30+ years of family beach vacations, a round of golf at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland and his beloved Tar Heels (especially the 1956 to 1957 men’s basketball team who had an undefeated season and a national championship).

A private memorial service was held March 18, 2023. Contributions may be made in Ed’s memory to Southside SPCA (https://southsidespca.org or P.O. Box 66, Meherrin, Va. 23954).