George Thomas Martin

George Thomas Martin, age 88 of North Canton, peacefully passed away surrounded by his loving family on October 13, 2026, at Chapel Hill Community in Canal Fulton. Born on July 28, 1938, in Montreal, Canada, George's life was one of service, warmth, and unwavering kindness.

George is preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Albert Martin and Kathleen (Davis) McGlennon, his beloved Lily May "Granny", his first wife Janet Martin, and his siblings Judy, Blain, Gale, and Roy Martin. He will be deeply missed by his beloved wife of 31 years, Susan, his children Monique (David) Winland, Kelly (Mike) Walker, Greg (Marcia) Kurtz, Christy (Andy) Schroeter, and Thomas (Erica) Martin, grandchildren, Jessica Neuman, Nathan Radland, Nicole Sergiychuk, Debra Counsell, Grace Dale, Joshua Kaczkielo, Zachary Martin, Jolene Martin, Alicia Boda, Max Schroeter (Claire Steiner), and Lea "The Sugarplum" Schroeter, along with 12 great-grandchildren. Each child will remember their Papa for his gentle soul, his silly stories and jokes, his kind and helpful advice, the way he made them feel like they were the only kid in the world, and especially for his often outrageous sense of humor.

George began his career as a physical education teacher specializing in gymnastics at his local YMCA in Montreal. He later went on to work as a dedicated employee to Arnold Graphics, specializing in printed busniness forms for national businesses. He was transferred by Arnold Graphics to Pennsylvania where he met his first wife, Janet, and had three children, Monique, Kelly and Thomas. He spent his 50+ year career with the same company. His exceptional service and commitment to his clients earned him great respect. He was known for his willingness to travel at a moment's notice to help problem solve for a client. George proudly became a United States citizen in his late 60's.

George was an active member of the Hartville Church of God for over 40 years. He served as a Sunday School Teacher for many years, served on the Board of Elders, assisted the pastor whenever he was needed, served as an usher or greeter, visited elderly or shut in members of the church at their homes, and occasionally filled in for the pastor giving a Sunday sermon. He met his wife Susan through the Hartville Church of God. He married Susan on July 1st, 1995, and became Dad to Greg and Christy, blending two familys together forever . After his retirement, he volunteered at three local food banks, including Zion Lutheran Church's Food Bank. He gladly made himself available to pray with the customers of the food bank and made them feel loved and understood.

George led a very physically active lifestyle all the way into his mid 80's. He spent countless hours throughout his life at the YMCA keeping himself healthy and strong. He made many friends there throughout the years as well. Some of the physical activities he loved throughout his life included gymnastics, biking, walking, racquetball, swimming, ice skating, roller blading, kayaking, and water skiing. He waterskied up until 85 years old, which earned him the title of "The oldest ski bum at Luna Lake". Hockey was his favorite sport and The Montreal Candians was his favorite team. It is guaranteed that George could outdance anyone else to the song "YMCA". He laughed and didn't take anything too seriously. He loved life and was never afraid to live it to the fullest.

George had many different likes and hobbies. He enjoyed taking walks around the block or at a park. He loved to read fiction and non-fiction. His Bible is lovingly warn with highlights, notes, and underlines to scripture on most of the pages. He liked movies. Just try to find a Hallmark movie he hadn't seen. He liked to strike up conversations with strangers just to show kindness. He enjoyed taking friends or family for "emergency" ice cream sundaes. He loved to travel with his family and show them the places he loved. He and Susan especially loved spending time at many different beaches over the years. He cherished spending time with his grandkids, taking them to experience new and exciting places that they would never have experienced without him. He loved having a boat and taking people for boat rides. He especially loved helping the grandkids and their friends learn to water ski. There is absolutely nothing he wouldn't have done for his family or friends. George's greeting and smile, warm heart, and unwavering dedication to those he loved will forever be treasured by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

The family would like to express heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Chapel Hill Community in Canal Fulton, where he spent almost a month total for rehab after two different hospitalizations. George quickly charmed and made friends with those caring for him. The staff were so kind and helpful to both George and the family. All of his nurses and nurse's assistants treated him like family, making our last memories with him good ones of being so well cared for.

A celebration of George's life will be held on October 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Zion Lutheran Church, located at 349 Lindy Lane Ave NW, North Canton, OH 44720. Starting at 2:30pm there will be a brief memorial and then a time to share memories.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial donations be made to the Food Bank at Zion Lutheran Church