Obituary for William "Bill" Ernest Martin
William (Bill) Ernest Martin, 78, passed away the evening of November 14, 2020, in Minneapolis, MN. Born in 1942 in Illinois to Flora and Kenneth Martin, he lived most of his life in Long Lake, MN. He is survived by his wife Patricia Martin, children: Lauren (Rick Hellebrand) Martin of Edina, Michelle Martin of Minneapolis, Christopher (Allisyn) Martin of Eden Prairie and Emily (Scott) McPherson of Minneapolis, and six grandchildren: Griffin, Eva, Oliver, Georgia, Adeline and Theo. He was blessed to have his family at his bedside when he passed.
He lived his life with a bedrock belief in promoting justice as a cornerstone of our society. After graduating from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, Bill served in the Army from 1965 to 1969. He earned his law degree in 1973 from the University of Wisconsin Madison and moved to the Twin Cities to practice labor law at Dorsey & Whitney LLP. He left private practice to become a professor at Hamline School of Law, where he was an early developer and instrumental leader in the newly founded school. He taught at Hamline for the rest of his career, served as associate dean for a number of years and guided the school through challenging times. Most known for being very devoted to the students, he was teacher of the year numerous times. He taught in the traditional Socratic method which the students hated at first and then learned to love. He helped create a program called Acceptance by Performance that gave an opportunity for non-traditional students to show they could succeed in law school giving women and people of color greater opportunity to attend law school.
He was a lifelong member of St. Edward’s Episcopal Church in Wayzata, MN. He was deeply involved in the church community, serving on the vestry and leading adult education. He was spiritually expansive and explored many different modes of thinking that he shared with his church community and family.
Bill was equal parts outdoorsman and scholar. He ran marathons, was an avid golfer and fisherman—from Ted’s Sandy Beach in northern Wisconsin to his annual fishing trips in Quetico, Canada. He had no shortage of hobbies with his deep love of classical music, collecting of antique fountain pens, and love of literature as illuminated through his extensive home library with everything from Aristotle to Zora Neale Hurston. His signature style included bright running shoes, sophisticated hats and an eclectic collection of ties. And his determined and generous personality can be defined by his famous Chicago-style hot dog run of 1985. When visiting relatives in Lake Zurich, IL, he defied warnings and ventured out into a blizzard. He returned three hours later to his worried family, hot dogs and fries in hand, having succeeded in finding an open shop several towns away. True to his nature, he had helped rescue a few strangers along the way.
He spent the last 15 years battling the advancing impact of Parkinson’s. As his mobility declined, he was blessed to be able to move in next door to his daughter Emily and her family. Their side-by-side homes were jokingly referred to as “the compound”. For the last three years, the compound became the backdrop for weekly family gatherings, where he watched his grandchildren play and was immersed in the family hustle and bustle. He also received regular visits from his devoted friends. Even as he toiled with day-to-day movement and communication, you would often see his true self shine through in treasured moments, especially his impish nature as he played with his grandkids, snuck in a joy-ride down his wheel chair ramp or indulged in an early morning popsicle.
This past summer, as our community was experiencing civil unrest after George Floyd lost his life, his spirit for justice was re-awakened by the community’s pain. Only 20 blocks separated his household from the location of the rioting, and as he was visibly grappling with fear, anxiety and sadness after that traumatic first night, he had an idea. In a soft, rattling voice he told anybody who would listen: “I know what we need to do. What if everybody who lives here would walk out of their homes and into the street at nightfall. If the entire community comes out together, we can ease the pain and nothing bad can happen.” This vision emerged out of his confusion as a manifestation of a society he believed was possible, one where collective response is leveraged for the betterment of everyone.
He will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure to know him. A celebration of life will be held at St. Edward’s in Wayzata. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Civil Liberties Union – Minnesota at https://www.aclu-mn.org/en.
He lived his life with a bedrock belief in promoting justice as a cornerstone of our society. After graduating from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, Bill served in the Army from 1965 to 1969. He earned his law degree in 1973 from the University of Wisconsin Madison and moved to the Twin Cities to practice labor law at Dorsey & Whitney LLP. He left private practice to become a professor at Hamline School of Law, where he was an early developer and instrumental leader in the newly founded school. He taught at Hamline for the rest of his career, served as associate dean for a number of years and guided the school through challenging times. Most known for being very devoted to the students, he was teacher of the year numerous times. He taught in the traditional Socratic method which the students hated at first and then learned to love. He helped create a program called Acceptance by Performance that gave an opportunity for non-traditional students to show they could succeed in law school giving women and people of color greater opportunity to attend law school.
He was a lifelong member of St. Edward’s Episcopal Church in Wayzata, MN. He was deeply involved in the church community, serving on the vestry and leading adult education. He was spiritually expansive and explored many different modes of thinking that he shared with his church community and family.
Bill was equal parts outdoorsman and scholar. He ran marathons, was an avid golfer and fisherman—from Ted’s Sandy Beach in northern Wisconsin to his annual fishing trips in Quetico, Canada. He had no shortage of hobbies with his deep love of classical music, collecting of antique fountain pens, and love of literature as illuminated through his extensive home library with everything from Aristotle to Zora Neale Hurston. His signature style included bright running shoes, sophisticated hats and an eclectic collection of ties. And his determined and generous personality can be defined by his famous Chicago-style hot dog run of 1985. When visiting relatives in Lake Zurich, IL, he defied warnings and ventured out into a blizzard. He returned three hours later to his worried family, hot dogs and fries in hand, having succeeded in finding an open shop several towns away. True to his nature, he had helped rescue a few strangers along the way.
He spent the last 15 years battling the advancing impact of Parkinson’s. As his mobility declined, he was blessed to be able to move in next door to his daughter Emily and her family. Their side-by-side homes were jokingly referred to as “the compound”. For the last three years, the compound became the backdrop for weekly family gatherings, where he watched his grandchildren play and was immersed in the family hustle and bustle. He also received regular visits from his devoted friends. Even as he toiled with day-to-day movement and communication, you would often see his true self shine through in treasured moments, especially his impish nature as he played with his grandkids, snuck in a joy-ride down his wheel chair ramp or indulged in an early morning popsicle.
This past summer, as our community was experiencing civil unrest after George Floyd lost his life, his spirit for justice was re-awakened by the community’s pain. Only 20 blocks separated his household from the location of the rioting, and as he was visibly grappling with fear, anxiety and sadness after that traumatic first night, he had an idea. In a soft, rattling voice he told anybody who would listen: “I know what we need to do. What if everybody who lives here would walk out of their homes and into the street at nightfall. If the entire community comes out together, we can ease the pain and nothing bad can happen.” This vision emerged out of his confusion as a manifestation of a society he believed was possible, one where collective response is leveraged for the betterment of everyone.
He will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure to know him. A celebration of life will be held at St. Edward’s in Wayzata. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Civil Liberties Union – Minnesota at https://www.aclu-mn.org/en.