Kevin J. Martin

I attended the University of Pennsylvania briefly before transferring. Freshman year I lived in the same dorm as Kevin. He was a wonderful human being who will be missed by all who knew him.

I worked with Kevin for 20+ years on the Newark Delaware AAU wrestling tournament that benefitted UCP. Kevin and his mom, Kay, were both huge supporters of this organization. Rest In Peace Kevin.

I have known Kevin for about 40 years having first met him at Delaware Wrestling Club in the off season of my sophomore year of high school. Kevin became my mentor first as a referee with the AAU and USA Wrestling and then with the Delaware Wrestling Officials Association. I coached against Kevin for a couple of years but when the opportunity to become an assistant coach at Newark High School under him, that was when he became my mentor in coaching. I learned so much working with him that I adopted many of my coaching techniques from those experiences. It was also working with Kevin that I learned the operation side of running wrestling tournaments. I will be forever grateful for having the privilege of knowing and working with him. I know that many wrestlers that wrestled for Kevin feel the same way. RIP Kevin, coach/mentor and friend.

Paul McCloskey
Newark High Wrestling
USWOA
DWOA

Kevin helped me learn and love wrestling. It was a great piece of my high school years at Archmere. I am thankful for his coaching and friendship. I am sure I speak for hundreds of young athletes who love the sport because of Kevin's love for the sport. Thanks, Kevin, you didn't have to sacrifice your time, talent and ability to coach us but you did. Pat HartArchmere 73

To All Of Those Who Have Know and Loved Kevin Martin,

When I stumbled into the assistant coaching job at St. Joe's Prep I had no idea it would mean so much to me as an adult. I often think about the school, the amazing assortment of wrestlers I met,, and of course Kevin Martin. I did not quite understand then but his guidance has shaped me forever. Kevin was fond of watching people learn by their mistakes. He was patient, wise, watchful, and understanding. I can still see him beaming with life when one of the wrestlers finally scored with a move he had been instructing for weeks. More importantly, the move would be completed with technical perfection. Kevin was a tech perfectionist! I witnessed dozens of young, inexperienced boys develop into confident, able men at the hands of Mr. Martin. Kevin was more than a mentor he was a friend. He wrote me a letter of recommendation when I applied to Medical School in my senior year at Temple. As you can imagine, he did not take the task lightly! The three page letter laid out my strengths and weaknesses and in the end gave his word that I would be a worthy candidate for Medical School. To this day I am honored to have won the respect of a man such as Kevin Martin.
I am sad we lost a great friend but SO happy to have had a ONCE IN A LIFETIME experience with St. Joe's Prep Wrestling and it's unique and wonderful leader Kevin Martin. Rest in Peace my friend.

LOVE -
Greg Grober
Assistant Wrestling Coach @ SJP 1996 - 1990 - I will never forget it!!!

The pleasure was mine to have known you, worked with you, and see you place yourself in the forefront of sustainable design and construction

I'm gutted to learn this today. I never wrestled for Kevin, but as a coach, he was one of my greatest mentors. Despite the fact that the schools we were coaching at were rivals- (Newark-Glasgow) I could always call him with a question, or count on him for support. At the time, I was the youngest head-coach in the state, and often made mistakes of youth and passion. Kevin was always a calm and steady voice for me. I always appreciated that, and am grateful for the kindness, perspective, and mentorship he provided me. The leadership lessons he taught me helped me as a coach, but even more importantly 20+ years later and long after my coaching days are done, continue to guide me as a human being. GodSpeed Kevin, and thank you.

Coach Kevin was my coach at Newark High School. He taught me many life lessons in addition how to be a better wrestler. Such a great man and I will always remember him for what he did for me. -NHS Class of 1997

Kevin Martin was a mentor, a leader of men, a fierce competitor and a friend. With no previous experience wrestling, I fell in love with the sport due to his passion and experience in the gym.

Wrestling under Coach Martin taught me lifelong lessons about facing and overcoming adversity, discipline in training, and how to win and lose with respect.

Years after our time together, I still recall our conversations and the lessons I learned under him and apply them to my professional and social life. He had a lifelong impact on me and he will be greatly missed.

Rest in Peace Coach,
Nolan

Coach Martin introduced many kids to wrestling, like myself, and changed many lives for the better. I'll always be grateful for his dedication to the sport and generous commitment of his time. His passion for the sport lives on in all the students he coached.

Kevin was a great coach, competitor, and friend. His impact on PCL wrestlers will live on forever. We will miss you.

RIP Coach.

Please accept my dearest and heartfelt sympathy; I am so sorry for your loss. May the God who "binds up the brokenhearted" and "comforts all who mourn" sustain your family during this challenging time. Isaiah 61:1, 2