Earl Hilton Martin, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away peacefully on March 24, 2025 in Houston, TX, at the age of 76. The oldest child of Richard Hilton Martin and Glinner Jamison Martin, Earl was born on December 26, 1948 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Earl grew up in Winston-Salem, NC and attended Carver Consolidated School, now Carver High School, for grades 1-12.  He was very active in school activities, and was loved and respected by his teachers, coaches, and classmates. He participated on the basketball, tennis, and gymnastics teams.  He loved gymnastics, often spending hours practicing to perfect his craft in preparation for exhibitions during halftime of home basketball games and events hosted by other regional high schools.  He was also a high school bus driver who enjoyed the responsibility of ensuring students were safely transported to and from school each day.

Following graduation from Carver High School in 1968, he enrolled at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University where he studied Electrical Engineering.  During his college years, Earl enlisted in the Air Force and served in the Vietnam War.  Following his service, Earl was eager to get back to his education at North Carolina A&T.  He immediately reenrolled and went on to complete his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering in 1979 and 1981 respectively.  Following his graduation, he moved to Los Angeles, CA to begin his career in the aerospace industry with Rockwell International.

Earl enjoyed a long career with various aerospace companies, where he was respected for his hard work and expertise.  Following early retirement, he returned to Winston-Salem, NC.

He returned to work, initially at Winston-Salem State University where he served as an instructor, advisor, and support staff for student success initiatives.  After several years, he moved to North Carolina A&T State University where he worked as a manager for the composite materials laboratory in the Joint School of Nanoscience and Engineering.  He retired from North Carolina A&T in 2022.

Earl is survived by one sister, Lessie Martin Hatton; and one brother, Harold Lee Martin, Sr. (Davida).  He was a proud father to Erica Martin Green (Quincy) and Kimberly Martin Silva, and a doting grandfather to Abraham Silva and Armondo Silva, finding joy in every moment spent with his family.  He is survived by niece, Lya Simone Williams; and nephews, Jamel Nashon Hatton (Stacy), Harold Lee Martin, Jr. (Kirstyn), and Walter Gentry Martin, Sr. (Brittney); great niece, Serena Janelle Martin; great nephews, Harold Lee Martin, III, Sean Christopher Hatton, Noah Samuel Hatton, Zion Nashon Hatton, Walter Gentry Martin, Jr., Amir Winston Williams, Elias Jamison Martin, and Maxwell Pierce Martin; and a host of other relatives and close friends.

Earl will be remembered for his gentle spirit, love of engineering, laughter, and life.  He had a lasting impact on those who knew him.

Earl Hilton Martin will be deeply missed, but his memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to North Carolina A&T State University, General Scholarship Fund in care of the Advancement Office, Dowdy Administration Building, 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27411.

Memorial services will be held at 11:30am Friday, May 2, 2025 at the Russell Funeral Home Chapel. The family visitation will be held from 11:00am until 11:30am on Friday at the Chapel.