Loy Martin a hard-working entrepreneur
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Loy Vadus Martin was known for a big heart, business savvy and strong opinions on how to live right — not to mention his barbecue sauce, scratch cornbread and mixed greens.
Those who knew him well in Seattle's Central Area called him "Papa Martin" or "Daddy Martin." The stocky, proud-looking man made people feel that comfortable. Yet he didn't mince words.
"Martins always work hard. The only way to make it in this life is through hard work, because nobody is going to give you anything," he told his children again and again.
Those are some of the things his family and friends remember about the retired Seattle entrepreneur, who died at home Tuesday (Feb. 19) with his wife of 40 years, Lula Arleana, at his side. He was 87.
Mr. Martin's legacy — as chef, contractor, restaurant and grocery-store owner, foster parent, friend of the downtrodden — was rooted in Louisiana, where he grew up in a blended family of 17 children and earned a ninth-grade education.
In 1945, he came to visit a cousin in Seattle and stayed — drawn by the area's beauty and jobs.
Bethlehem Steel hired Mr. Martin as a foreman, but that didn't keep him busy enough. Soon, he opened his first of several restaurants, where he worked nights and weekends after his day job. That's where he first became known for his barbecue.
In spare moments, he worked at construction, using skills he had learned from his father. He also was a chef at the Ballard and Lake City Elks lodges and the Olympic Hotel.
"When he saw an opportunity or a need, he'd do it," said a daughter, Lois Stowers of Seattle.
Mr. Martin left Bethlehem in the 1950s to begin a career as a contractor. When the federal government began doing more business with minority-owned firms, he help found Urban Construction, one of the first primarily minority-owned contracting firms in Seattle, according to the family. He also helped establish the Black Contractors Association.
"He helped a lot of people on and off throughout the years. A lot of people who are contractors, he helped them get started," said Alvin Blount, who first worked with Mr. Martin about 50 years ago at the Ballard Elks.
When construction work slowed, he opened two small businesses next door to each other — Judkins Street Grocery, where he minded the counter, and another restaurant, the Judkins Street Barbecue and Restaurant, where he cooked.
When it came to raising his four children, Mr. Martin preached "never give up."
"Your goal is always to be the best at what you do," his son, Theo Martin of Seattle, remembers his father saying. "It never got old because I kept doing it and it helped me."
His generosity was as great as his expectations, say his children. Mr. Martin and his wife were foster parents who probably helped more than two dozen children. Their home was known as a place where anyone could drop in for a share of dinner after church. And Mr. Martin often would hire day workers for odd jobs such as mowing the lawn and give them a place to stay until they got on their feet.
At age 74, with health problems that included poor circulation in his legs, Mr. Martin had to lease out the grocery and restaurant. Daughter Paula Jones of Seattle recalled how he would still sit on a stool in the kitchen and instruct the cook: "You're not turning that chicken right. Let me show you how to do it."
At his last birthday party, Mr. Martin's daughters tried to give themselves a break by buying the potato salad. Their father's response? "That's not what I want. It has to be made from scratch."
In addition to his wife, daughters Lois and Paula and son Theo, Mr. Martin is survived by daughter Evalyn Jones of Seattle; brother Joseph Martin of Minden, La.; stepsister Lillie Martin Carter of Homer, La; and four grandchildren.
The family requests that instead of flowers, contributions be made to the Christian education fund of the Emerald City Community Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Visitation time will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Southwest Mortuary, 9021 Rainier Ave. S. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Emerald City Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, 801 25th Ave.
Marsha King can be reached at 206-464-2232 or mking@seattletimes.com.