Gary Lee Martin, 76, passed away peacefully with family on September 12, 2022. A long-term Rockwall resident, Gary was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Gary was predeceased by his wife Tome and brother Ron; he was father to Cole, Kelli, C.J., Chris, and Todd, and grandfather to Spencer, Lucy, Chance, Caden, Caroline, Nicholas, Kate, Gracie, and Landri.
Gary was born in Chicago, IL in 1946 to parents Louis and Julie Martin. As a child he excelled more in athletics than in school, but figured out his calling in business upon graduation from the University of Oklahoma, where he was a proud member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. However, Vietnam called. Luckily, Gary was an accountant, and, more importantly, he could type – which landed him in New Orleans for his tour of duty with the U.S. Coast Guard.
Gary joined Capital Southwest Corporation in 1972, subsequently serving as vice president and secretary-treasurer and then Chief Financial Officer. In 1979, Gary transitioned into an operational role and became the President of The Whitmore Manufacturing Company, a specialty lubricant manufacturer and wholly-owned portfolio company of Capital Southwest. Under his leadership, The Whitmore Manufacturing Company was transformed from a regional supplier of commodity lubricants into a global provider of highly-advanced specialty chemicals and lubricants used in some of the most extreme operating environments in the world. In 2007, Gary transitioned back to Capital Southwest where he served as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer until his retirement in 2013.
Throughout his career, Gary was affiliated with and/or served on over 35 corporate boards including: American National Bank of Texas; Alamo Group (NYSE: ALG), Chairman; Capital Southwest Corporation (NASDAQ: CWSC), Chairman; CapStar Holdings; Cinatra Clean Technologies; Encore Wire Corporation (NASDAQ: WIRE); Heelys, Inc. (NYSE: HLYS); Humac Company; Lifemark Group; Media Recovery; Palm Harbor Homes Inc. (NASDAQ: PHHM); The RectorSeal Corporation; The Whitmore Manufacturing Group; and Titan Liner.
Gary was also active in the Rockwall community, serving for years as a city councilman and a member of the Rockwall Economic Development Corporation. He worked tirelessly to ensure that Rockwall achieved its full potential; the fruits of his labor are now enjoyed by countless families throughout Rockwall and Heath.
Though a loyal and adopted Texan, Gary’s heart was in Perdido Key, Florida where he eventually discovered his special place alongside Tome. “The Beach” quickly became synonymous with sheer happiness. The seafood, white sand, and endless vanilla sunsets over the ocean enjoyed with family and friends quickly took precedence later in his life over his love of aviation and motorcycling around the country with friends on his Harley. Although a close 2nd was sitting at the breakfast table on a Sunday morning eating peanut butter toast while “hunting for a deal” in the classifieds.
Fair Winds and Following Seas.
The family will be hosting a celebration of life at the Hilton Rockwall on September 24th at 5:30pm – all are welcome to attend. A block of hotel rooms will be made available for out-of-town guests. In lieu of flowers, contributions made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Dallas would be appreciated.
