Walter Clifton Martin

Walter Clifton Martin
'Cliff'
POLKTON -- Mr. Martin, venerable mayor of Polkton and noted Anson County industrialist and philanthropist, died Monday, November 29, 2004 at Union Regional Medical Center, Monroe.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 4, at 2:00 PM at Hawley Memorial Presbyterian Church, Polkton, conducted by the Reverend Scott Simpson. Because of the size of the church, a memorial service will follow at 3:00 PM in the Ingram Community Room at the Lockhart-Taylor Center, 514 N. Washington Street, Wadesboro. Entombment will be at a later date in the Williams Cemetery, Polkton. Visitation is Friday, December 3, beginning at 6:00 PM at Leavitt Funeral Home, Wadesboro.
Pallbearers are Mr. Martin's grandson, Thomas Clifton Blaine of Surfside Beach,SC; his nephews, Sam Alexander of Rock Hill, SC, Charles Alexander of Greenville, SC, and Stephen Alexander of Charlotte; Keith McCraw and Coy Blackmon.
Mr. Martin is survived by his wife of 54 years, Helen Hoyle Martin, of the home; a daughter, Mrs. Jane Martin Blaine and her husband, Brian,of Surfside Beach, SC; a son, Walter Clifton Martin, Jr. of Polkton; and three grandchildren, Thomas Clifton Blaine and Jennifer Leigh Blaine, both of Surfside Beach, and W. Clifton Martin, III, of Polkton and Charlotte. Also surviving are a brother-in-law, David Alexander of Van Wyck, SC; his three nephews; and a niece, Betsy Alexander of Asheville.
Mr. Martin was born January 4, 1926 in Polkton, son of the late Isaac Williams and Fannie George Crump Martin, and grandson of the late Charles Henry and Mary Williams Martin and Walter and Rosa Crump.
His paternal grandfather, Charles Henry Martin, was a school principal, lawyer, law professor at Wake Forest University, and Baptist minister, and served in the U.S. Congress from 1896-1899. Mr. Martin's great-great-great grandfather, Nathaniel Macon of Warren County, was the only North Carolinian to serve as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was Speaker in the Seventh through Ninth Congresses (1801-1807) and served in the U.S. Senate from 1815-1828. Mr. Martin was greatly influenced by his ancestors and their legacy of service. He was preceded in death by his brothers, William Osborne Martin, Joe Williams Martin and Charles Macon Martin; and a sister, Mrs. Alice Martin Alexander of Van Wyck, SC.
Mr. Martin served for more than 50 consecutive years as mayor pro tem or mayor of the Town of Polkton and at the time of his death was a member of the Polkton Town Council. In his more than five decades of service to the town, Mr. Martin never cashed a Town of Polkton paycheck. The Polkton Town Council declared October 23, 1994, as W. Cliff Martin Day and sponsored a celebration in honor of his many years of service. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, having served as a staff sergeant with the Army Engineers in the South Pacific. Mr. Martin was a dedicated member and generous benefactor of Hawley Memorial Presbyterian Church in Polkton. He served numerous terms as Elder and was serving in that capacity at the time of his death.
He was president of Polkton Shirt Company, Inc., and W. Cliff Martin Company, Inc., and for more than 30 years was vice president and general manager of Polkton Manufacturing Company.
Mr. Martin served for over 33 consecutive years as a member of the Board of Trustees of South Piedmont Community College and its predecessor, Anson Community College. He was founder of the Anson Community College Foundation. In honor of his visionary leadership and generous philanthropic support, two buildings on the college's L.L. Polk Campus in Polkton bear his name: the W. Cliff Martin Technology Complex dedicated in 1998 and the Martin Student Center dedicated in 1983. He was instrumental in the relocation of the college campus to Polkton, and was awarded an honorary degree by the college in 1994.
Former North Carolina Sen. Aaron W. Plyler of Monroe, a close friend of Mr. Martin's for many years and a legislative advocate for the creation of South Piedmont in 1999, noted that education 'was foremost in his mind. Had it not been for Cliff Martin, community college education would not have been possible for so many in our area.'
'I am so proud to have had the opportunity to call Cliff my dear friend,' said Sen. Plyler. 'He will be sorely missed.'
Mr. Martin never ran for public office outside of Polkton, but was well-known across North Carolina as a Democratic Party activist. On several occasions, he received awards from Governors James B. Hunt, Jr. and Robert W. Scott. In 1995, he was cited by Gov. Hunt for his volunteer service to North Carolina. He was awarded the Order of the Longleaf Pine, the State's highest civilian honor. Mr. Martin was a long-time advocate for economic development in Anson County. He was a member of the Anson County Economic Development Commission and the Anson Economic Development Corporation. He was a founder of Southern Fabricators, Inc., in Polkton, received a special award from the Anson County Chamber of Commerce in 1987 for his efforts, and in 1991 was named Industrialist of the Year in Anson County.
He was instrumental in bringing both Brown Creek Correctional Institution and Lanesboro Correctional Institution to Polkton, which is now home to three correctional facilities and their approximately 1,000 jobs.
For his community service, the N.C. Board of Transportation named a portion of U.S. 74 the W. Cliff Martin Highway in 1997. Said Carroll Edwards of Marshville, a close friend for many years and a former member of the Board of Transportation: 'I believe it was a wonderful way to honor a person who has done so much for the citizens of Anson County.'
'Cliff was a one-of-a-kind person, and his objective was always to help other people. He truly cared about Anson County and the surrounding areas. He will be greatly missed.'
A lifelong resident of Polkton, Mr. Martin held the town's founder, Leonidas LaFayette Polk, in high regard. He encouraged South Piedmont Community College to name its Polkton facility the L.L. Polk Campus. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the L. L. Polk Foundation, Inc., and helped to champion the restoration of the L.L. Polk House in Raleigh. Polk was a newspaper owner and editor, the State's first Commissioner of Agriculture, founder of 'The Progressive Farmer,' president of the Baptist State Convention, and a founder of institutions now known as North Carolina State University and Meredith College. He would have been nominated the People's Party's choice for U.S. President except for his untimely death in 1892.
Mr. Martin served for 22 years as a member of the Anson County Hospital Board of Trustees, gave more than 30 years of service to Lanesboro Volunteer Fire Department, and was for 33 years a director of Branch Banking and Trust Company.
He was honored for his community service on many occasions. Though not a member, the Wadesboro Rotary Club named him a Paul Harris Fellow in 1994. He has also received commendations from the Shriners' Oasis Temple, the Shrine Hospitals for Children, Wingate University, the Anson County Schools, the Boy Scouts of America, and numerous other civic and community organizations.
'I have never known a man so generous with his time, talent and resources,' said long-time friend, former North Carolina Lt. Gov. H.P. Taylor, Jr. 'Cliff Martin leaves a legacy of leadership, generosity, and, most of all, integrity. Through Cliff Martin, you can see what a difference good people can make in a community.'
Leavitt Funeral Home of Wadesboro, NC is serving the Martin family.