Jay Martin

Jay R. Martin Longtime San Franciscan, died on February 11, 2011, while on a visit to Los Angeles. Mr. Martin was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but moved to California as a child. Growing up in San Francisco he attended Roosevelt Jr. High, Lowell High and Matriculated at UC. Berkeley. While still an undergraduate he left Berkeley for Army Infantry Training at Ft. Hood, Texas, and, later, Officers' Training at Ft. Benning, Georgia. After commissioned Army service in the US and Japan which, he boasted, included serving as "Regimental Laundry Officer", he returned to U.C. Berkeley where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, was elected president of the Interfraternity council, was elected President of the class of 1949 and was invited by U. C. President, Robert Gordon Sproul, to be a member of the University's Honorary California Club. Following graduation from U.C. Boalt Hall School Of Law, class of 1953, Martin became an assistant district attorney of Alameda county which included serving as Sacramento lobbyist for the District Attorneys' Association and successfully prosecuting numerous capital cases. Entering private practice Martin was a partner in the San Francisco law firm of Cartwright, Saroyan, Martin & Sucherman and, later, the statewide firm of Crosby, Heafy, Roach & May. His legal career involved more than 100 jury trials and included invitations to membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American Trial Lawyers Association. His long time friend and former partner, Lowell Sucherman, Esq., of San Francisco, commented "Jay was always fully prepared and he was a great litigator". Mr. Martin was a long time supporter of the University of California, Berkeley, in particular, student scholarship funding and fund raising for university athletics, having been a member of the crew team in his days there. Jay's other enthusiasms included skiing and tennis (he was a long time member of the California Tennis Club in San Francisco) and his skiing trips led him to many ski sites in the US and Europe. He was for many years an active member of the Bohemian Club and took much pleasure in the comradeship of his camp mates at the Bohemian Grove. Other San Francisco organizations he supported over the years included The Guardians and Big Brothers. Mr. Martin was married to the former Lynn Mullins of Tulsa Oklahoma, from whom he was divorced. Mr. Martin's survivors are his daughter, Kelly N. Martin, his daughter-in-law, Chase Martin, both of Los Angeles, and his sister, Yvonne Martin Cazier, also of Los Angeles. He was pre-deceased by his son, Blair C. Martin. Other survivors include his brother-in-law, Edward C. Cazier, Jr., Los Angeles, nephews Edward C. Cazier, III, (Suky) Copenhagen, Denmark, Matthew M. Cazier (Jennifer), Seattle, Washington and niece, Claire T. Cazier, London, England.