Martin succumbs to cancer
Legislator dies at 67
|
|
Clint Martin |
Toolbox
By DANIEL BARLOW Herald Staff - Published: December 18, 2006
SPRINGFIELD — Rep. Clinton Martin, D-Springfield, died Sunday morning following a year-long battle with cancer, according to family and friends.
The 67-year-old Martin, who was diagnosed in February with multiple myeloma, died at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.
A funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Springfield.
Edgar May, a former state representative and Windsor County senator from Springfield, said Martin touched many people's lives in the many years he spent as director of the town's parks and recreation department and in his two terms as a legislator.
Martin also was active in his church and, along with his wife, Cynthia, would volunteer as an auctioneer to charities, May said. Fitness and health care were important key issues for him, May said. Martin served on the House Health and Welfare Committee.
"He was a contributor," May said. "He taught a generation of young people about sports and went on to make an impact in the Legislature. He really made the world a better place."
Paul Ruse, a former Springfield town manager, recalled meeting Martin when Martin came to town from New York state in the early 1970s to become recreation director — a job he only retired from in 2001.
Ruse said Martin had a real passion for sports and a love of children that made Springfield's recreation activities popular. He said Martin had a legion of area parents willing to flex their political muscles if the town ever tried to cut the department's budget.
"If cuts ever came up, he would raise holy hell," Ruse said. "He would fight for those programs because he knew how important they were to the kids."
Martin has served as one of Springfield's two state legislators, along with fellow Democrat Rep. Alice Emmons, since 2002. He easily won re-election with no opposition for a third term last month, and had intended to return to Montpelier in January after missing much of the 2006 session.
Speaker of the House Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, described Martin as a thoughtful legislator who knew how to balance the seriousness of the job with a healthy sense of humor. The sight of him in the front row of the chamber, two seats away from the podium, always would put things in perspective for her, she said.
"This is a loss for Springfield, a loss for Vermont and a loss for the House," Symington said. "We're really going to miss him."
Martin was diagnosed in February after two fellow legislators told him to see a doctor because of his sickly appearance. The cancer he was diagnosed with interferes with the production red and white blood cells. The disease also causes the body to produce more proteins, which attack bones and cause them to break apart.
Martin underwent two rounds of chemotherapy this year and had an experimental stem cell transplant in attempt to regrow his bones. He also had surgeries to replace his hip and remove his gall bladder. Still, he was optimistic about his chances.
"I'm a work in progress," he told the Herald last month.
William Kuch, chairman of the Springfield Democratic Party, said Martin's recovery took a sudden turn for the worst last week. He praised Martin as a "very popular Springfield resident and an effective legislator."
"He was very optimistic about his recovery," said Bob Forguites, the town manager in Springfield who drove Martin to a physical therapy meeting in late summer. "He seemed to be getting along well. But there must have been a setback."
According to state law, Springfield Democrats will recommend an interim replacement for Martin but the final selection sits with Gov. James Douglas, a Republican. Kuch said it's too early to talk about who will fill Martin's seat in Montpelier.
"I'm really reluctant to talk about that so soon," Kuch said. "It's premature right now."
Contact Daniel Barlow at daniel.barlow@rutlandherald.com.
16