Carter Martin, Jr, was born in Nashville in 1958, lived in Raleigh, N. C. for six years, and moved to Huntsville in 1965 when he was in the second grade at the Fifth Avenue elementary school on Governor's Drive. He attended Huntsville Junior High on White Street, and graduated from Huntsville High as a National Merit Semifinalist. During his school years he spent one entire summer backpacking with his parents and younger brother Douglas through all the mountain ranges of the U. S. , another summer with his family as part of the inaugural years of the national Outdoor Center, and after that a summer touring with them, hiking and camping in England and Europe. In 1975 he was Nanatahala Junior Champion in Slalom Kayaking and continued to hold national ranking as a paddler. He graduated from The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, where he was so active in whitewater sports that the club there was named in his honor following his death. He was an avid golfer, also, and in Atlanta was a member of the East Lake Club, founded by the legendary Bobby Jones. Those who loved him will not forget him - intense, inquisitive, creative, fascinating, humorous, sometimes exasperating, always himself. - Carter Martin, Sr.
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Carter and I were best friends since Fifth Ave. Elementary but had lost contact with each other through high school. He loved playing baseball and his favourite player was Carl Yastremski. Carter would regale me with tales of family outdoor activities such as kayaking, whitewater rafting, camping and hiking. I admired his passion and skill at competing and winning in kayaking competitions. He was crazy about his dad and very close to his younger brother, Doug.
We attended birthday parties together with “our gang”, Robbie Wilson, Bobby Harraway, Doug and others. Once, we had a birthday party at Madison Theatre in Parkway City. It had been arranged for us to sit and watch the movie from the projector room. It was a very small, cramped and stiflingly hot room with a huge movie projector squat in the middle emitting heat with the ferocity of a billion suns and only one chair for the projectionist. I remember having to sit through the entire movie in Bobby Harraway’s lap beside the projector peering uncomfortably through a 4 X 5 square. But you know what? It was fun!
My final lasting memory of Carter was bumping into him one day during our senior year. During our brief exchange, he told me how much he missed our friendship and wished we could get together again. That really touched me but, regretfully, it never happened and I never saw Carter again. This one’s for you, Carter. You will never be forgotten. – Pat Hughes
I knew Carter at Sewanee. He was very well liked by all and always had a great laugh (more of a chuckle) and a wry sense of humor. He was taken too soon and will always be remembered by his friends and family. I was at the NC White Water facility today, a place Carter would have loved, and was reminded of him after many years.
Brian Martin
Charlotte, North Carolina
