Charles Alexander "Alex" Martin

Charles Alexander Martin, 71, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, passed away on October 20, 2023 in Greenville, South Carolina. Alex was the son of the late William Jules and Montie Alexander Martin. He was born in Alexandria, Virginia on March 19, 1952. His family moved to Clemson, SC when he was two years old, and he became a lifelong Tiger fan.
Alex dedicated 40 years of his life to students in upstate South Carolina. Thirty-three of those years were spent in Greenville County Schools where he served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, director, and an assistant superintendent. His administrative years at Lakeview Middle School, Greer High School, and Greenville High School provided him with many opportunities to encourage and influence students, which is what he loved most about being an educator.
Alex was appointed to the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee in 1998 and served as vice chairman for a number of years. One of Alex's highest honors was also in 1998 when he was named the South Carolina Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Outside of his professional life, Alex loved fall Saturdays tailgating with friends and family while attending Clemson football games. He could often be found on a golf course (looking for his golf balls) or boating on Lake Hartwell. "Granddaddy" loved to tinker in his garage and in the garage at the family lakehouse. He found great enjoyment in playing with a water hose and "fixing" almost anything. As a true sports fan, he loved watching his children and grandchildren play football, soccer, baseball, and basketball. He took great pride in the accomplishments of both his children and grandchildren. Alex was a long time member of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Greenville.
Alex is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ann Beacham Martin, his children, Trina Freeman (Jay) and Chad Martin (Kelly), his grandchildren, Jack Freeman, Brad Freeman, Mills Freeman, Addie Rhodes Martin, and Emerson Martin, and his sister Trina Martin McCannon (Joe).
He was preceded in death by his brother, Jules Martin, and his sister, Esther Warren.
The family would like to personally thank all the caregivers at The Pearl and The Pines for their love and attention to Alex. Thank you to the Amedysis team for their constant care and support. We would like to say a special thank you to Nidia, his RN, who so lovingly gave of her time and unique talents to see that Alex got the best care possible. In addition, we would like to say a special thank you to the angels that blessed us with such loving and compassionate care. Thank you, Mo and Demarion!
The family will receive friends from 1:00-2:30pm on Tuesday, October 24 at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC. A memorial service will follow at 3:00pm at Fourth Presbyterian Church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), 2700 Horizon Drive, Suite 120, King of Prussia, PA 19406 or Fourth Presbyterian Church, 703 East Washington Street, Greenville, SC 29601.
Friends are encouraged to share their favorite memories of Charles with the family by clicking on the button labeled "Leave A Message, Share A Memory" below.