Frederick Martin III

Nashville - Frederick Kirke Martin III, age 70, passed away peacefully on December 16th, 2020, surrounded by his family. The days preceding his death were filled with laughter and tears, music and knitting, and the GREAT love of his devoted family. Kirke was born January 13th, 1950 in Pittsburgh, PA, as the only child of Kirke and Jenny Martin. As a child he spent his afternoons with his first-generation Lithuanian grandparents, smelling freshly baked bread, snacking on Mallow Cups, and being doted on by his mother. Kirke was a graduate of North Hills High School and DePauw University. He was an accomplished football and baseball player and was nicknamed "Lurch" for his gentle demeanor and towering stature. Kirke graduated with a bachelor's degree in Finance & Business and a master's degree in Education and was a proud member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. In 1970 Kirke studied abroad in Denmark, and while traveling on a bus of students in Reykjavik, Iceland, he asked if anyone knew how to play bridge. Margie, thinking he was cute, pretended she knew how to play (she still has never learned!). The two fell immediately in love and were married June 12th, 1971. The newlyweds then moved to Nashville, TN, which Kirke lovingly dubbed as "The City of Sons-in-Law." Kirke's Pittsburgh accent faded during his 50 years as a Tennessean, but his love for the Penguins and Steelers never did. He loved calling Nashville home. Kirke founded his own music business firm in 1981, Martin and Associates (now Martin, Allbee, Bryan, Miller, and Associates). Kirke was revered for his honesty, loyalty, and practicality, and his advice was sought after by many up-and-coming and established artists. During his 40 years in the Nashville music industry, Kirke served on the boards of Leadership Music and Nashville Entertainment Association, and was a member of CMA and GMA. Kirke was proud of his business, loved by his colleagues, and counted his clients as friends and family. While being a business manager was fulfilling for Kirke, his true joy came in being a husband, father, and grandfather.

Kirke and Margie raised four children - Kirke, Edward, Margo and Helen. Kirke spent most of the 80's and 90's coaching and watching soccer, baseball, ballet, and ice hockey. He spent his weekends traveling for his sons' hockey games and was an integral part of growing the Nashville Youth Hockey League, serving as Board President for multiple terms. When he wasn't enjoying his children's activities, Kirke was trying to grow the perfect tomato and cucumber in the backyard, explaining gravity while assisting with science fair projects, planting pansies and annabelles, making Saturday morning trips to Home Depot, watching football and golf, or making his children pick up sticks in the backyard. Kirke loved dogs. He cherished the company of his childhood dog, Rocket, and later, his family's yellow lab, Sandy Noel. Kirke began every morning by completing the crossword puzzle, keeping his mind sharp and his knowledge of obscure things hearty. It was a coveted position to sit by Kirke's side and "help" with the morning crossword. Alongside his crossword, Kirke loved to watch the backyard wildlife, especially the hummingbirds and their most persistent foe, Wally, the woodpecker. Kirke loved to play cards, anything from a complicated game of Bridge with his friends at Monday's on Manor, The Vanderbilt

Bridge Club, and Hillwood Bridge Club, to a game of Cribbage or Spades with his children to a simple game of Go Fish with his grandchildren. Kirke had an amazing ability to know what cards anyone had in their hand at any given time, and an equally amazing ability for still making the game fun, even if he could easily whup his opponents.

Kirke loved spaghetti, M&M's, mandarin oranges in black cherry jello, taco salad, sushi, Toll House chocolate chip cookies, IBC root beer, and was well known for his delicious Christmas Eve Minestrone. Kirke loved to watch M.A.S.H. and "shoot 'em ups" (as he called them), and in contrast he unashamedly shed tears while watching The Nutcracker, just for the beauty of it all. The happiest Kirke ever was, was when he was surrounded by the chaos and love of his wife, four children, their spouses, and his eleven grandchildren. Kirke took pride in his greatest role - being a beloved "Poppie" to his grandchildren. He loved to spend his summers at the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly watching his grandchildren zoom around on their bikes, and his favorite way to pass an afternoon was spend hours by the fire on his screened-in porch listening to his family play guitar and sing him his favorite songs, among them "Keep Your Heart Young" and "Salvation Song." Kirke led and supported his family as a pillar of strength, humility, honesty and kindness. As the Carolina Chocolate Drops sing so beautifully in their song "Leaving Eden," "Dying is just another way to lead the ones you love." Kirke fulfilled this with all that he was.

Kirke was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick Kirke Martin Jr. and Jenny Helen Martin of Pittsburgh, PA and his parents-in-law, Edward A. and Marguerite Fish of Nashville, TN. Kirke is survived by his beloved wife of 49 ½ years, Margie, his children Kirke (Keedysville, MD), Edward and Rachel Martin, Margo and David Cloniger, and Helen and Kris Nonn (all of Nashville TN). And by his eleven beloved grandchildren, Samuel, Meridian, and Reuben Cloniger, Dylan, Rowan and Eamon Martin, Olive and McKay Martin, and Ryer, Marlow and Hollis Nonn. Kirke is also survived by his dear chosen brother, Thom Schuyler (Sarah Tallu), his brothers-in-law Ed (Toni), John (Denice), and Walter Fish, his niece, nephews, cousins and by his friend, Henry Yarborough.

While it is the family's greatest wish to be able to celebrate the life of such an amazing man surrounded by those who loved and respected him and those whom he loved and respected, due to the current restrictions imposed by Covid-19, there will be a private family service and burial to follow at the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly. Because his family will greatly miss the stories and memories that would be shared when gathering together, Kirke's family would welcome and cherish your written remembrances in celebration of his life. Please mail your remembrances to The Martin Family ? MAMBA, P.O. Box 128287, Nashville, TN 37212 or email to [email protected]

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to, The Store (P.O.Box 128287 Nashville Tennessee 37212), created by his friends and clients, Brad and Kim Paisley, The Nashville Food Project (5904 California Ave, Nashville, TN 37209), founded by his cousin, Tallu Quinn and a favorite place for his grandchildren to volunteer, Monteagle Sunday School Assembly (PO Box 307, Monteagle TN, 37356), an adored place of childhood magic, or Alive Hospice (1718 Patterson St., Nashville, TN, 37203) who helped care so lovingly for Kirke in the last three months of his life.