John Allen Martin

John Allen Martin was born on January 21, 1942, at Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, to the late Thomas Lete Martin and Helen Colbert Martin. He was a man of integrity, determination, faith, and unwavering devotion to his family, his country, and the people he loved. John's father was a three-war combat veteran who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. From ages 10 to 12, John lived in Japan on an air base while his father was serving in the Korean War theater. Those formative years, along with his father's example of service, had a lasting influence on John. John graduated from Brown High School in Atlanta in 1959. He continued his education at Southern Institute of Technology, graduating in 1961 with an associate degree in mechanical engineering before beginning his military service the following year. John married the love of his life, Nancy Harrell Martin, on March 21, 1964. Together, they shared 62 years of marriage and built a life centered on family and faith. Following in his father's tradition of military service, John proudly served in the United States Army from 1962 until 1968, rising to the rank of Captain. Commissioned in Artillery, he served in Vietnam in the Intelligence Division with the Third Corps under MACV, where he led a squad responsible for gathering critical information in support of military operations. While serving overseas in 1967, John and Nancy welcomed their daughter, Audrey, who joined her older brother, Mark. John experienced the joy of her birth from afar before returning home later that year. Two more sons, Michael and Tim, later completed the family. Following his military service, John built a long and successful professional career spanning manufacturing, business ownership, and real estate. He began with Container Corporation of America (CCA), where he advanced into plant management and led operations in both Houston and the Atlanta area. John later became an entrepreneur, owning and operating Honey Creek True Value Hardware in Conyers before beginning a career in real estate with Barbara Edwards Properties. He also returned to manufacturing in plant management roles with Schutz Container and Van Leer and later resumed his work in commercial real estate before retiring in 2010. Throughout his life, John's Christian faith was an enduring source of strength and purpose. His connection to Smyrna Presbyterian Church stretched back to childhood. His mother served as the church historian and librarian during the 1960s, and John's own memories of the church reached even further back, including attending camp meetings as a child in the 1950s. As an adult, John continued that lifelong connection through decades of service to the church. He served as a deacon for more than 15 years during the 1970s and 1980s and later as a church elder in the 1990s. He also taught the men's Sunday school class for nearly 15 years and remained an active member of the Men of the Church. The year after John retired, Nancy was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. As her health declined, John stepped back from many of his church leadership responsibilities and devoted himself to caring for his beloved wife. For the remainder of his life, caring for Nancy became his greatest responsibility and perhaps the clearest expression of the love that had defined their marriage for more than six decades. In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas "Tommy" Colbert Martin, whose wife, Sandra, survives him; his grandparents; and aunts Harriet (Speck) Downs and Mary Hope (Fain) Abbott. John is survived by his wife, Nancy Harrell Martin; their children, Mark Allen Martin (Josie), Audrey Helen Martin (Pam), Michael Thomas Martin (Patty), and Timothy Harrell Martin (Melanie); and his grandchildren, Holly Nicole Horetz, Kristina Estelle Martin (Joey Stanton), Kathleen Ellen Long (Eric), Heather Renee Dalton (Billy), Luke Martin, Olivia Jane Martin, and William Harrison Martin. He is also survived by five great-grandchildren: Sora Estelle Long, Ember Renee Horetz, Skye Willow Long, Hadley Jane Dalton, and Story Mera Long. Also left to cherish John's memory are his extended family, including Mark and Beth Horetz and Denise Jones Martin, many dear friends, and his beloved church family at Smyrna Presbyterian Church. John leaves behind a life distinguished by service to his country, his family, his church, and his community. From his years in the Army and a long professional career to his decades of church involvement and devoted care of Nancy, John lived a life grounded in faith, responsibility, and love. His legacy will endure in the family he cherished, the people whose lives he touched, and the example he leaves behind. Service Details Receiving of Friends Monday, August 31, 2026 10:30 a.m. Smyrna Presbyterian Church 2920 GA-212, Conyers, GA 30094 Memorial Service Monday, August 31, 2026 11:00 a.m. Smyrna Presbyterian Church 2920 GA-212, Conyers, GA 30094 Condolences may be submitted online at www.scotward.com. Scot Ward Funeral Services, 699 American Legion Road, Conyers, GA 30012, 770-483-7216.

John Allen Martin

January 21, 1942 - August 22, 2026