Martin H. Dodd Jr.

1934 - 2016

Martin H Dodd, Jr.

Oct. 13, 1934 - Aug. 22, 2016

Salinas

Martin H. Dodd, Jr., the founder of Sun Street Center, a residential facility located in Salinas, for men seeking recovery from alcoholism and substance abuse, passed away Monday, Aug. 22, 2016, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 81.

Born Oct. 13, 1934 in Atlanta, GA, he spent his first 27 years in the South. He married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Jane Wheelis (deceased), in 1952 and together they raised four children, Martin III, Elaine (deceased), Sheryl and Wes. They moved to California in 1961, settling first in the Bay Area, before relocating to Salinas in 1965.

Martin's personal mission to help others overcome alcoholism was born of his own struggles with alcoholism during the early years of his married life. In 1964, after multiple failed attempts at recovery, Martin hit rock bottom and attempted - fortunately unsuccessfully - to take his own life. That crisis, however, precipitated his recovery. With the help of a persistent sponsor from Alcoholics Anonymous, he began the slow process of recovery. Martin never drank again and recently celebrated 52 years of sobriety.

After the family moved to Salinas, Martin enrolled at Hartnell College. A lifelong learner and avid reader, he absorbed all the college had to offer. Among other things, he edited the college literary magazine and discovered he had a talent for writing fiction.

Then, in 1967, he was recruited to become the director of the Salinas Valley Council on Alcoholism. As with everything he pursued, he approached the job with intense focus and determination. Martin quickly discovered that, for a small city, Salinas had a large population of transients, living on the streets, cycling in and out of jail, many of whom suffered from alcoholism. But few resources were then available to assist these men. Determined to address the problem, Martin found an abandoned farm labor camp on Sun Street in Salinas, near the city's "Skid Row," and asked the owner to donate the property for a residential recovery facility. The owner agreed and, in 1968, Sun Street Center was born. Martin was 32 years old.

Sun Street Center exemplified what Martin and others later called the "social model of recovery." The guiding principle of social model is that recovery from addiction is best achieved when those seeking recovery are part of a community with others seeking recovery, each building his/her sobriety by helping others remain sober. As it grew, Sun Street was recognized as one of the most innovative and successful recovery facilities in the state, and perhaps the nation. Nearly 50 years on, it is still thriving.

Martin and Nancy were instrumental in building other institutions serving people in recovery. Sun Street purchased an apartment building to serve as transitional housing for residents who were ready to leave Sun Street itself, but not yet prepared fully to reenter the community at large. In 1974, Martin founded Swinging Door: a drop-in center in Salinas for those still on the streets. Until it closed in 1994, Swinging Door offered its patrons a safe haven and brief respite from street life, bathrooms and showers, and resources and information for those interested in pursuing recovery. Later still, Martin and Nancy founded Pueblo del Mar, a residential community in Marina, primarily for women and children seeking recovery or safety from domestic violence and abuse. Pueblo del Mar continues to provide its residents the help, resources and strength to escape from addiction and abuse.

After Nancy died in 2000, Martin retired from most responsibilities at Sun Street. Although he continued to teach and consult on social model, much of his time was spent honing his craft as a writer. He participated in a number of writing groups and classes, and in recent years occasionally taught fiction writing to others. His short stories are characterized by expertly crafted dialogue, irony, dark humor and pathos. They often end with a wry twist. His efforts were rewarded: he was published in several literary journals and won a number of prizes for short fiction.

He will be sorely missed by all those he touched - not least of whom include his nine grandchildren. He gave nicknames to each of them and, every year at Christmas, composed poems written specifically for them. Christmas will be a little less festive this year.

Martin is survived by his children and their spouses, Martin (Jill), Sheryl Merrill (Brian), Wes (Donna); his grandchildren, Sarah Dodd, Elizabeth Dodd Ring (Josh), Leta Merrill Norton (Jeremy), Rebecca Merrill (Tiffany), Marissa Merrill Imbrie (Brad), Rachel Merrill, Wesley Dodd (Allie), Laura Dodd and Heather Hughes; a growing brood of great-grandchildren; and the countless men and women whose freedom from addiction stems at least in part from the contributions he made and the legacy he has left.

A Memorial service for Martin will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, Aug. 29, 2016, at Church of the Good Shepherd, 301 Corral de Tierra Road, Salinas, CA 93908.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Martin & Nancy Dodd Fund at the Monterey County Community Foundation.

Funeral arrangements by Struve and Laporte. Online condolences to www.struveandlaporte.com