John Wendell Martin, Ph.D

March 19, 1952 – November 28, 2024

John Wendell Martin, Ph.D., age 72, died peacefully at home on Thanksgiving Day. He had a happy, grateful heart and would have found resonance in the date. John lived life eternally thankful for a loving wife, family, and friends; a satisfying, helping career; and life-long travel and adventures.

A native Richmonder, John was predeceased by his parents, George W. and Merle Duke Martin as well as his brother, George Wayne Martin. He is survived by his wife, Mary Elizabeth L. O’Leary (Beth); his sister, Cheryl M. Niece; mother-in-law, Ruth Lokey; and an extended Lokey family. John graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School (1970), earned his B.S. from Virginia Tech (1974), his M.S.W. from Tulane University (1975), and Ph.D. from Florida State University (1980). A Licensed Professional Counselor, his career included serving as a therapist at Western Tidewater Mental Health Center; clinical director at Fayette Community Mental Health Center in Uniontown, Pa.; counselor and assistant professor at the University of Virginia; clinical counselor at Hospice of Tacoma in Washington state; and in private practice in Richmond. He also served as an oral examiner on the Virginia Board of Professional Counselors.

John delighted in travel, achieving his “50 states by age 50” goal and international trips to Nepal, Tibet, Japan, Russia, Australia, the UK, and throughout Europe. He was a life-long athlete who relished his time on the Virginia Tech gymnastics team. An avid hiker and mountaineer, he summited Mount Denali in Alaska, Mount Washington in New Hampshire, the Grand Teton in Wyoming, and Mounts Adams, Hood, and Rainier in the Pacific NW. He and his wife returned almost annually to Mount Rainier, where he found spiritual significance. John achieved a lifelong dream by trekking through Nepal’s Khumbu region to the Mount Everest Base Camp and visiting the Potala Palace in Tibet. He loved biking and frequently rode the Capital Trail, including a 50-mile ride earlier this year.

A memorial service for family and friends will be planned in the early months of 2025. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Cancer Society or to Washington’s National Park Fund to aid Mount Rainier conservancy.