Joseph A. Gilmartin

Joey was our neighbor for years and, at 13, he used to mow our lawn and babysit my son. He later coached my son, Jason, in football at NK. Jason had great respect for Joe. I, of course, always thought of him as my 13-year-old sweet neighbor. We were all proud of his coaching accomplishments. My heart is broken. Teddy Davis

Joe was my son's social studies teacher and he and all his friends loved him. He gave a very moving speech at my daughter's graduation, so much so that I sent him an email thanking him for his message to the students, and also telling him that it was a dream of mine to go to Alaska to go fishing for halibut and salmon. He wrote me back, thanking me for my kind words, and encouraging me and my son to go to Alaska. I'm happy to say that we're going next August. We'll catch a few for you, Joe!
To Mary and the Gilmartin family, our deepest condolences.
Anne, Dave, Caroline, Francesca, and Willem Andrews

Coach Gilmartin was my advisory teacher throughout high school. Little did I know he would have the biggest impact on my life, most notably as my coach junior and senior year. The simple phrase he said to me, as someone brand new to playing football and lifting weights, was "everyone starts somewhere". I have thought about that moment just about everyday since. He was gracious enough to not discourage anyone from getting better, but not too patient to make room for complacency. He expected your best, and he´d help you help yourself to get there.

His teachings on and off the field shaped the lives of so many students in ways they may not have panned out otherwise. For me, he is the reason for my continued and growing love for football that led me to become a coach myself. I will forever be grateful for the time spent with him. I must attribute a large part of the direction my life has taken to his influence.

May he rest in peace.

Coach Gilmartin was always tough but fair, helping us realize that to be our best in football and life requited hard work, discipline, and sometimes a sense of humor. I remember him vividly running plays over and over until we got it right saying "we can do this until the cows come home". He was a true mentor and coach.

What a gift to have had Joe as an educator during my time at Davisville Middle School. Many of my favorite school memories are from his classroom and numerous field trips. He had a way of creating experiences for his students that brought joy and inspired passion for subjects they weren´t previously interested in. There´s very few teachers I still think about almost 20 years after we crossed paths, but he is one of them. Hearing about the incredible impact he continued to have on the NK community long after my time as a student isn´t even a little bit surprising to me. How lucky are we all to have known him

Joe was my social studies teacher in 8th grade at Davisville Middle School. He had an enormous impact on me and a big part of the reason I'm a teacher today is due to him. I fondly remember him not only teaching us the curriculum but so many life lessons. He played guitar for us and talked with us about fishing, hunting, football and the natural world. I and other students went on numerous field trips with him to Hunt River and Rome Point. We would catch and observe all the critters and take pH and other readings of the water. Joe devoted huge amounts of his own time after school for these trips. He always expected the best from us but also had a heart of gold if you were down. He was an incredible man and a true NK legend!

The only thing that comes to mind is Great Man. Coached us at Bishop Feehan.

Joe was the most impactful educator I ever had. He was a genuinely nice guy that took an interest in each and every one of his students. I am a better person because of the life lessons I learned in his classroom. NK lost a legend. Rest in peace, Mr. Gilmartin.

I met Joe early in years as a teacher at North Kingstown High School. He was one of the first teachers to greet me and help me feel at home. This is typical of Joe...and didn´t stop on the first day but throughout my time at NKHS. One of nicest and accomplished professionals you´ll ever way to meet. He was a musician as well...a fellow guitar player and had a history with the Guild family! He gave knee of the best graduation speeches I´ve experienced...from the heart...down to earth...caring. That was Joe.

Joe was a great teacher and an avid outdoorsman who wanted to share his love of nature and history of the region with his students. I saw this firsthand on many class field trips to the Hunts River and Rome Point with Joe and his wife Mary. I will never forget walking into his classroom at Davisville Middle School and being greeted by the bared teeth of a black bear rug. R.I.P. Joe

Our hearts are with your family and loved ones. What a legacy he planted during his presence in this lifetime. We are so sorry for your sudden loss. Most Sincerely, Margaret Lindgren

A wonderful person and great coach. Thank you for leading our 1993 Bishop Feehan football team. Joe brought a winning culture to Feehan and left a structure of excellence with Feehan.

Joe's teachings as a coach and more importantly off the field as a role model with each of his players or students created a foundation for myself and many more who were lucky enough to have spent time with him. I, like many of my Feehan teammates can not put into words how lucky we were to have Joe in our life and his daily life lessons are still with us today.

He expected your best on and off the field, He lived with what he said and was always there for you no matter what, When you were down he would pick you up and if you were to full of ourselves he would make sure to ground us the right way.

Thank you coach but more importantly thank you Joe for what you did for us on a daily basis. These memories are with us forever.

In loving memory of a wonderful person. We will love you and miss you always.may memories keep us smiling forever rest easy cuz