Martin A. Harmon

1934 - 2023

Martin A. Harmon
May 27, 1934 - February 23, 2023
Roseville, California - OBITUARY OF MARTIN A. HARMON
1934 - February 23, 2023
It is with profound sorrow that the Harmon family announces the loss of its beloved patriarch, Martin A. Harmon, who passed away, surrounded by family, in Roseville, California, on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at the age of 88.
Martin is the father of 11 children, 37 grandchildren, and 29 great-grandchildren. He leaves behind his cherished wife of four years, Kathryn Harmon; nine of his 11 children-Shyrel, Vicky, Susan, Martine, Martin Aaron, Pamela, Christopher, Matthew, and Deidre-and his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as three of his siblings, Ruth "Kitten" Harmon, Ron Harmon, and Dale Harmon. Two of Martin's precious daughters, Erica Elizabeth Harmon and Cynthia Harmon Sayre, predeceased him, as did four of his grandchildren, Stacie Anne and Abigail Smeja; Alex Gaskey; and Gracia "Grace" Jean Doppelmayr; and four of his siblings, Audrey, Milton, Harold "Tyrone," and Lee "Lionel."
Martin's first wife, Barbara Leatherman, the mother of six of his children, predeceased him in 1997. Jean Culpepper, the mother of two of Martin's children, predeceased him in 2012. The mother of his three youngest children, Etna Virgil, survives him.
An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Martin started working at age nine, during World War II, when times were very hard; and he continued working full-time up until just days before his death.
Over his lifetime, Martin's companies employed thousands of people, improving the lives of countless families.
In his spare time, Martin especially enjoyed taking long walks around his Roseville neighborhood, and spending time with family and friends. He was serious about his daily exercise regimen. Martin was a life-long member of the Exchange Club, and impressed upon his children the importance of using the resources they've been blessed with to make a difference in the world.
Martin began his illustrious career by selling cookware door-to-door, for his Aunt Pat. He would bring a Hershey bar cake mix and ask the lady of the house if he could make her a cake on her stovetop with just one pot. He used the Hershey bar as the frosting and sold a few pots and pans, but found that sales was not very appealing work. His next job was a hard-working position, learning the skill of butchering and working behind a butcher shop counter. He parlayed this work experience into opening his own market and meat-packing company while he was still a teenager!
At the age of 27, inspired by his mother's interest in caring for the elderly, Martin purchased his first nursing home in Auburn, California. This particular nursing home was owned by a mother-daughter team. The day after escrow closed, the entire septic system failed, and he had no money to hire a contractor to fix it. He had to replace the sewer lines and connect them to the public sewer system all on his own! This experience set him up for his future as a developer and contractor.
Martin was proud of the numerous certifications that he held under his Contractor's license. Later, he realized the advantages of having a Skilled Nursing Home Administrator's license; and despite his lack of formal education, he worked hard and passed the State test to obtain this license.
Martin's strong work ethic served him well throughout his remarkable career. Immediately upon gaining his Contractor's license, he began building Skilled Nursing Facilities; and he thrived in the pursuit of acquiring and building more senior living facilities. He became heavily involved in construction, mainly in support of his own projects.
Known as a prominent real estate developer in the Auburn, Rocklin, and Sacramento regions, Martin was actively engaged in the development of subdivisions, medical and professional office buildings, shopping centers, and apartment complexes. He learned to buy property when the price was attractive, and then held it for many years. His projects span multiple states, including California, Utah, Nevada, and Minnesota. He was working on one of his favorite projects, the Timberline at Auburn development, at the time of his death.
Martin strived to develop as many properties as he could, so that he could leave a legacy for his children and grandchildren. His desire was for his businesses to go on for as long as possible after he was gone.
Martin was a philanthropist, whose outlook on living a good life was to realize every day that family, friends, and helping others are truly the meaningful aspects of our time on this earth. He enriched thousands of lives during his career, through his work, and through his family's charitable foundation, which has supported hospitals, churches, cancer research, and many important programs that assist those struggling with substance abuse and hunger. The foundation has also promoted state-of-the-art healthcare, and provided support for women's domestic violence assistance programs; the arts; disaster relief efforts; children's programs; and organizations that assist seniors and veterans.
Martin loved his work, but more than anything, his wife and children were the light of his life! He will be sorely missed by the many people who loved him!
A Celebration of Life event will be held on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., at The Ridge Golf Course and Events Center in Auburn, California.