Obituary of William C. Martin, Sr.

~~William Christopher Martin (Chris), age 73, of Woodville, Texas succumbed to bone cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center Hospital in Houston, Texas Tuesday, May 23, 2017 shortly after 4am.
Chris was first diagnosed with Colon cancer in February of 2002.  He had been battling prostate, skin and other cancers over the years and been in remission until this past summer when the doctors discovered the cancer in his bone.
Chris was born April 1, 1944 in Woodville, Texas to Eva Gay and Ernest Martin.  He and his wife Geraldenehave lived most of their lives in Woodville.  They spentmany years building their home in Woodville themselves from timber they cut from their own land, then purchased a saw mill, milled the timber and used that lumber to build their home. 
Chris had a Masters in Mathematics, Education, Computers and Geology.   He worked as a mud engineer for Bayrow after college for a couple of years but came back to Woodville in 1968 to teach, which he discovered was his real passion.
Over the past 49 years, Chris taught mainly in Woodville but also taught in Colmesneil and Spurger school districts as well as the Wyndom System with the Texas Department of Corrections.  He began teaching once at Woodville in 2016 as a higher-level Science teacher.  He said many times that his students helped keep him going.  He was very proud of them and enjoyed how they pampered him.  His last day teaching with his students was the week before Easter. 
Chris was preceded in death by his parents Ernest and Eva Gay Martin, brother Joe Martin and nephew Joey Martin.
He leaves behind his wife Geraldene Martin, two sons; William C. Martin  Jr. and Murphy Wayne Martin, and a daughterApril Dawn Martin as well as six grandchildren; Ross Martin of the US Army, Ashley Cheyenne Martin, Tabitha Martin, Shelly Pledger Martin, Brenna Burke and Aleena Burke. 

A memorial service will be held Friday, May 26, 2017, at 10 am at the Riley Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Buddy McDaniel.