Garry Frank Martin lost his short, but fierce fight against lung cancer on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017, at his home in Greenville, Ala. Funeral services will be Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 at 1 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church with The Rev. Reid T. McCormick officiating and Dunklin and Daniels Funeral Home will be directing. Burial will follow in Meija Family Cemetery. Visitation was held Friday, Jan. 27, 2017 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Dunklin and Daniels Funeral Home.

Garry was born the son of Frances Eulee Hard and Robah Martin, on March 21, 1944, in Cedar City, Utah. At the age of 12, his family moved to Crest, east of El Cajon, Calif. He graduated from Granite Hills High School in El Cajon in 1963.  After serving in the Navy, Garry enlisted in the Air Force. He was discharged in 1967 and joined the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department in 1969. He retired from the sheriff’s department with 20 years of service and the rank of captain. Garry and his wife and daughter returned to his wife’s home of Butler County, Ala., in 1993, and were soon joined by their son and his family, her parents and her sister Lisa and her family. He went to work for the Greenville Police Department, rising through the ranks and retiring in September 2013 with the rank of senior captain after 21 years. Garry is survived by his wife of almost 30 years, Ramona Mejia Martin; his daughter, Marie Martin; and his son, Dean Lee Martin; five grandchildren, Victoria Martin, Mercedes Martin Roberts, Taylor Martin, Diego Martin and Bella Thompson; and seven great-grandchildren, Isabella Martin, Mia Martin, Damian Roberts, October Roberts, Ashtyn Roberts, Sylus Greenwood and Steven Hagan. He is also survived by his brother, Bill Burgess; sisters-in-law, Lisa Mejia Hudson (Dwight) and Melinda Mejia Adams (Tim); brother-in-law, Carlos Mejia (Debbie Rodriguez ); nieces, Brianna Flores, Billie Burgess and Kelli Burgess; nephew, Carlos Mejia de Rodriguez; and his little buddy, great-nephew Carter Vinson. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Prudencia Lynn Martin; eldest son, Garry Dean Martin; son, Robert Martin; daughter-in-law, Donna Thompson; and father and mother-in-law, Ralph and Evelyn Mejia.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Fraternal Order of Police or to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.