John William Louis Martin, 17, of Linden, Virginia passed away on Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at his home.

Services will be held on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at Bethel Presbyterian Church, 19856 Evergreen Mills Rd. Leesburg, Virginia 20175 with the Rev. Dr. George C. Hammond officiating. Visitation will be at 10:00 am in the fellowship hall followed by a memorial service at 11:00 am in the sanctuary. There will be no reception to follow. Interment will be private. The family requests that all in attendance wear masks.

John was born on December 22, 2003 in Front Royal, Virginia to Leah K. Dooly Martin and Craig J. Martin. He was a communicant member of Bethel Presbyterian Church.

Surviving along with his mother are his sister, Kiely Martin and brother, Joseph Martin; maternal grandparents, Bill and Sue Dooly; aunt, Joy Dooly; paternal grandmother, Rev. Mildred Martin; paternal grandfather, Lou Martin (Cecily Nabors); and numerous extended family members and close family friends.

John was a loving, generous, and loyal young man. He cared deeply for his family, loved his mom and siblings, adored his aunts Joy and Amanda, and cherished all of his grandparents and great grandparents. He adored his dog Jolly. John was a wonderful friend. He was a great student and hardworking employee. He put others before himself and if you were so lucky to get a hug from John, you could feel it deep in your core. John’s hugs were the best. His laugh and his smile lit up an entire room. His sense of humor had his audience in stitches…every. damn. time. He was loved so deeply and will be greatly missed.

It’s hard to summarize a loved one’s life on a piece of paper. If I had the time to talk about John, I would need an eternity; I could speak volumes and volumes about him, but I simply do not have that sort of time.

Everything about John was big. When he was born, he was a whopping 9.5 pounds! He had big hands just like his father and grandfather, big brown eyes like his father and grandmother, and even as a newborn, he had a deep voice (not sure where that came from). He was my round cheeked, spikey-haired, brown eyed baby boy. As he grew from a boy into a young man standing just shy of 6 feet, he remained gentle, sensitive, thoughtful, and kind and oddly old fashioned in his thinking. His aunt Amanda often told me she felt he was an old soul from the very beginning.

John was a good listener and role model to his peers. He befriended the friendless and freely offered sound advice to those in need. He was deeply empathetic, patient, and compassionate. He had the ability to see and understand things from another perspective. His constant companion was “Jolly” his Jack Russell terrier. Jolly would wait by the door until John came in from outside. John would talk to Jolly and give him baths and fluff his doggie pillow under the computer desk. He loved his dog. John enjoyed books and movies that were filmed from an animal’s perspective. He loved animals. A Dog’s Purpose, A Dog’s Journey, and Black Beauty were a couple of his favorite movies.

He could make a fine cup of coffee and had his own recipe for banana bread. Some of his favorite foods were mint chocolate chip ice cream, corned beef hash and eggs, and steak. He was a WWI and WWII buff, frequently drew detailed pictures of airplanes and tanks, and read constantly about history. Saving Private Ryan, Unbroken, Forrest Gump, and War Horse were a few more of his favorite movies. He loved sharks and dragons and owned the entire Wings of Fire book series. He enjoyed anything that was steampunk and electro swing music. He had an impressive collection of die cast cars and planes, Hot Wheels, and intricate Lego sets. He loved classic cars and trains and ships and planes.

John was a dedicated student. He was punctual and detail oriented and completed assignments early. He loved welding and building things in shop class. He loved math but hated physics and Spanish. He was a straight “A” student, certified in OSHA safety, and a member of the National Honor Society. He spoke often about his favorite teachers Mrs. Vashista (algebra 2), Dr. Castor (AP Statistics), Mrs. Burnworth (geometry and calculus), Mrs. Briggs (English), Mr. Leonard (introduction to engineering), and Mr. Moore (welding). John would have been a proud 2022 graduate of Warren County High School. He had a high GPA and had earned college credits while in high school. He was accepted to several colleges and universities and sought after by over 70 different institutions of higher learning. He had plans and ambitions to become an underwater welder and metal fabricator.

John was a huge supporter of law enforcement and first responders and those who have served or serve in the military. Every time we went out, he would stop and thank each civil servant he saw and say, “Thank you for your service.” He was very patriotic and loved our country.

He was an avid gamer and had a close group of friends. He wrote nearly every day since his first pencil hit the paper. He read all the time and was fascinated by the natural world and how things work. It was apparent to me that he had a higher level of thinking and saw life from a different perspective. He was mechanically inclined and a problem solver. He liked to figure out how things worked. He was a cashier at Martin’s and loved his coworkers and customers even the customers that weren’t so nice. John also volunteered at Samuels Public Library and participated in group projects with the NHS.

The other thing that was big about John was his heart. If he knew you, he loved you. He loved people who were kind and thoughtful. He loved people who taught him things and allowed him to be himself. He loved those who nurtured him and guided him. He loved so deeply that this world was too small for the love he had within himself. And that is what I want you to remember most after you leave here today, that John. Loved. Us. and We. Loved. Him.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the following charities or organizations:
Humane Society of Warren County Virginia, https://humanesocietywarrencounty.com; Tunnel to Towers Foundation, https://t2t.org; Honor Flight Network, www.honorflight.org; The Wounded Blue https://www.thewoundedblue.org; Samuels Public Library, https://samuelslibrary.net; Maddox Funeral Home, 105 West Main Street, Front Royal, VA.