Martin A. Mead

1952 - 2019

MEAD, Martin A. (Marty) Martin A (Marty) Mead, born March 27, 1952 to Bruce and Shirley Mead of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away peacefully at home in Austin, Texas May 24, 2019 after a long illness. Marty left us with lasting memories of his loving and generous nature, his wry sense of humor and his commitment to excellence in all that he did. His nature was reflected in the respect and kindness he showered on his friends, family and strangers. Whether he was orchestrating his home remodel, planting flower bulbs, or rewiring lamps, he had a knack for trouble shooting and a drive to be the project manager with skilled precision as he worked with his ever-growing arsenal of power tools. He treasured working alongside his best friend John Muniz playfully going head to head bantering with nearly brutal, yet fun-loving humor. They were comedically regarded as "the grumpy old men." He jokingly called his home M&M's Luxury Inn and Suites. And, after friends visited, he'd often text them prompting them to numerically rate their stays. Sometimes he wore his chauffeur hat when he picked guests up at the airport and asked them, "Where too?'" A man of few words and deeply pensive, Marty filed, in his keen mind, others' needs, birthdays, misfortunes and joys, waiting for just the right moment to show, rather than tell, them how he cared. When he was in better health, Marty would spend hours putting together various New Mexico dishes, watching with his mischievous, and generous smile for reactions when guests took their first bites into hot, green chile-laden cuisine. A John Prine enthusiast, dedicated to all the lyrics, he loved to sing and dance with uninhibited abandon in the privacy of his home with his wife Margo. Marty was grateful that he immediately bonded with and trusted his hospice nurse Chad Noyes and REDBUD home care provider Janie. They wrapped him in tremendous comfort and safety. And, when Marty first entered hospice care, his brother-in-law Bernie, a nurse, was in Austin to help facilitate his new normal and to do the chores for which Marty no longer had the strength and energy. Marty's started his career at Bell South from riding in "the bucket" to climbing telephone poles, to teaching cable splicing and fiber optics. Later he advanced at Intel then ACS Dataline where he retired as a Client Service Manager for voice and data networks. One of his fondest achievements was opening a voice and data network office, in Puerto Rico where he lived for six months. Marty is survived by his wife Margo, his sister Mary Margaret Petty, two sons Michael and Matthew Mead, nephews Ben Petty and Sean Staats, great nephew John Petty, nieces Jennie Petty and Wendy Whitmore, brothers-in law Bernie Schinck and Greg Lobikis, and sisters-in-law Cynthia Lobikis and Lisa Murphy and her husband Randy Murphy, step-daughter Michelle Slaughter and husband Jay, step grandchildren Isaiah Slaughter, Justin Wyett and wife and child Sammi and Brady, respectively, step grandson Brett Wyett and his partner Ben. Marty was predeceased by his parents Bruce and Shirley Mead and by sisters Catherine Staats, Judith Mead and Leora Vandevender To donate in Marty's honor: Hospice Austin at 4107 Spicewood Springs Road Austin, Texas 78759 Or, call 512-342-4769, or go to the website www.hospiceaustin.org