Remembering Martin Carl

BAAAAM!
A shot straight to the gut in the form of a 5 word text.
"Martin Carl passed last night!"

I stared incredulously at the text sent from my good buddy Jay Malandrino, and my mind quickly raced back to just days ago when Martin and I had shared a quick catch up at a local grocery store. The pleasantries exchanged were the fodder of so many conversations previous ... How's retirement treating you? The family holding up? I stood in my kitchen, lunch's grilled cheese smouldering on the stovetop. Martins gone? He was only a couple of years older than me. He looked great when we spoke recently. Talk about a wake up call!

Martin and I have been friends for 20+ years. We first met when we were both taking an AQ course being taught by Marty McCrone, back when he still taught at Twin Lakes. It was obvious to all of those in the course that Martin was tight with another guy he always chummed with ... a shorter guy with a great big smile and a wonderful sense of humour ... Paul Bethune. There are a bunch of memories from the class but the one that resonates right now was the source of a true belly laugh, the kind that leaves you with stitches in your sides, tears in your eyes, and gasping for air. We had to do a health lesson so Martin and Paul, possessing the wit and intelligence that they did, offered our eyes a video based on condoms and their proper use. If you knew either of these guys, you've just found yourself grinning because you can truly imagine what these two would have included in the video.

Eastview celebrates it's 50th

There are many people in the SCDSB that would have know Martin better than I did because we never actually worked in the same school, but I can say that we worked together on a large number of projects that served the educational community through the SCAA (Simcoe County Athletic Association), GBSSA (Georgian Bay Secondary School Association) and even OFSAA. From my perspective, Martin loved teaching / coaching, that was obvious to anyone who knew him, but what was less obvious was how much he loved working with teenagers, going above and beyond to ensure that they had a greatest educational experience he could muster. Many will recognize Martin as one of the forces behind high school football in this area. To many he will be remembered as Mr Eastview, having effected a profound influence there. Some will be familiar with him in his role as tournament organizer for a variety of activities. Many a student sought his assistance through his role as Guidance counsellor at Eastview. His name was well known and he had a great reputation.

I was honoured to have attended Martin's retirement party last June ... if you're doing the math in your head right now, yes, he enjoyed less than one year ... and the packed room down at Donaleigh's was a testament to the broad reaching impact he had on so many. I learned a few things that night that were previously unknown to me and I came away with an enhanced respect for how much life he had packed into his years. Even when the hour was his, in that quiet moment we shared after the speeches were said and done, he steered the conversation away from my congratulating him by prodding me about how excited I was to be closing in on the great transformation myself. For Martin and I, that was always the way our chats went ... he was genuinely interested on how I was doing and offered thanks on behalf of students for my role in things.

Humble only sort of describes him, in my opinion.

Having said all that, Martin and I had our disagreements, but they were few and far between, usually centered over something that had to do with kids, issues we were approaching from different sides. Martin was a passionate advocate, often getting his hackles up when he perceived injustice, but it always came from a place of compassion and caring.

I am writing this as a tribute to Martin but don't underestimate the cathartic influence it has on my grief. Martin and I paralleled each other in our careers and have spent a lot of hours doing extras for the sake of the kids. He will leave a gaping hole in my soul, such was the power he had to connect with others.

To his wife Aileen and his two daughters, I offer my prayers that they will have the strength to endure the next few weeks of pain and anguish. There will be a lot of frowns as the news of his passing spreads.

Val Hargreaves, a close friend of Martin's and who looked to him as a mentor, said it best, "Love him or hate him, everyone has a Martin story!" Too true, Val, too true.

Heaven just opened the gates for a good one.