Marty was probably my best friend from fall of 1971 when he moved with my family to Ft Lauderdale until we both got married and drifted apart into our respective family lives.
He helped me get my first "real" job at Motorola which launched my career.
He taught me how to drive a stick shift.
We drove an old corvette prototype he bought to Key West that had no firewall and I bet we sweated off 10 lbs of weight between us.
We fished a lot together off Alligator Alley, the Intercoastal and the ocean.
He crewed for my father on some fishing trips to Mexico and the Bahamas.
I remember he took a job as a seaman on some old tramp steamer before getting married. I can't remember if he ever went.
He was at one point the only real friend I had in Florida.
I have spent several hours each year trying to locate him on the Internet, probably since the late 90's.
This is very emotional for me even after not seeing him for so long.
He was a good soul.
18Feb2015
Marty and I were best friends growing up. Together we attended grade school (St. Matthew Parish, from 3rd grade) and high school (St. Francis, Wheaton, IL) and were very close until he moved to FL. We spent almost all of our time in the summers riding bikes, exploring everything, and learning about life. These are some of my favorite and best memories.
Marty was always a curious guy and I remember the time when he got a brand new bike and he took it all apart just to put it back together again. That bike was never the same and I still wonder what he was thinking...or not! I use the name "Marty" for my password security answer to the question, "Name your best childhood friend."
Marty was a special and a loyal friend and loved by all of us who new him. He was part of a close knit group and his name always pops up when we get together. He has been missed by us all over the years and we all have fond memories of our friendship with him. My condolences to his family and I am grateful for having been his friend.
He helped me get my first "real" job at Motorola which launched my career.
He taught me how to drive a stick shift.
We drove an old corvette prototype he bought to Key West that had no firewall and I bet we sweated off 10 lbs of weight between us.
We fished a lot together off Alligator Alley, the Intercoastal and the ocean.
He crewed for my father on some fishing trips to Mexico and the Bahamas.
I remember he took a job as a seaman on some old tramp steamer before getting married. I can't remember if he ever went.
He was at one point the only real friend I had in Florida.
I have spent several hours each year trying to locate him on the Internet, probably since the late 90's.
This is very emotional for me even after not seeing him for so long.
He was a good soul.
Marty was always a curious guy and I remember the time when he got a brand new bike and he took it all apart just to put it back together again. That bike was never the same and I still wonder what he was thinking...or not! I use the name "Marty" for my password security answer to the question, "Name your best childhood friend."
Marty was a special and a loyal friend and loved by all of us who new him. He was part of a close knit group and his name always pops up when we get together. He has been missed by us all over the years and we all have fond memories of our friendship with him. My condolences to his family and I am grateful for having been his friend.
Sincerely,
Tony Pelletier