Palmer Martino

Palmer Francis Martino

1919 - 2017

Palmer Francis Martino, 97, of Kenosha, Wis., passed away Monday, March 13, 2017, at United Hospital System-Kenosha Medical Center Campus.

Palmer was a cartoonist, oil painter, watercolorist, sign painter, commercial artist, and TV producer. He taught those skills to anybody who wanted to learn them and often became that persons cheerleader and tenacious promoter.

Born in Kenosha on Oct. 4, 1919, he was the son of the late Fiore and Leondina (Gentile) Martino. Except for a stint as a Merchant Marine radio operator on an oil tanker in 1944-1946, he was lifelong Kenosha resident. He attended Bain Elementary and Mary D. Bradford High School and studied art for three years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. On April 24, 1948, he married Mary A. (Rizzo) Martino at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church where both were lifelong members. After jobs as a shoe salesman and shipping expeditor, he was a commercial artist at Johnson Wax for 20 years and retired in 1978. He taught art for 10 years at the Kenosha Gateway Technical College.

Martino was a member of the Friends of the Museum, Italian American Society, Friends of Italian Culture, the Kenosha Art Association, and other groups. His volunteer work included painting signs and drawing cartoons and charcoal portraits. He also performed chalk talks in which he showed his love of teaching and having an audience. Hed tell stories and jokes as cartoon characters would spring to life from his charcoal on newsprint sketches.

Surviving him are their four children, Linda (Wayne) Gerlach of Muskego, Wis., Mark (Colleen Cullen) Martino of Seattle, Wash., Michael (Phyllis) Martino of LaCrosse, Wis., and James Martino of Madison; his five grandchildren, Beth Gerlach, Martin Gerlach, Tony Martino, Nicky Martino, and Louis Martino; and his great-grandchild, Jackson Gerlach Clay.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 22, at Proko Funeral Home from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church on Thursday, March 23, at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at St. George Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Kenosha Art Association, Holy Rosary Church, or the Father Sullivan Scholarship fund at Holy Rosary.



Proko Funeral Home & Crematory

5111-60th Street Phone: (262) 654-3533

Visit Palmer's Online Memorial Book at:

www.prokofuneralhome.com