FALMOUTH — Robert W. Martin, 78, of Falmouth, died with his daughter at his side Nov. 1.

He was born June 1, 1935, in Cumberland, Md., son of Walter and Helen Martin and brother to Miriam Mast, Rita Donlon, Kathy McGann and Ronald Martin. He grew up in the mountains of western Maryland in the small town of Mt. Savage.

He attended Frostburg State University and later graduated with a bachelor’s  from the University of Maryland at College Park. An Army veteran, he served in Germany where one of his connections was with a young Elvis Presley. A writer and photographer in the military, Martin returned to civilian life and was hired on a local radio station in Cumberland where he did a morning program called “Robin’s Roost.” He was picked up by the NBC affiliate in Baltimore, Md., where he worked as a television anchor. From television he was recruited to work on the staff of two Maryland governors followed by service to Prince George’s County as the public information officer. In 1975, he became vice president of community services at Prince George’s General Hospital in Cheverly, Md.

In 1978, he left Maryland and moved to Maine with his wife and children and went to work at Bath Iron Works in the purchasing department. From BIW he became a job recruiter with Ames Personnel Consultants.

His loves were photography, his children and grandchildren, his dogs and the Chesapeake Bay where many summers were spent on his beloved Karen-Cara B, fishing for stripers and later fishing on Casco Bay. He was known for his famous tomatoes that he shared with his neighbors and for his special fondue sauces.

His family will greatly miss his presence especially at football on Sunday afternoons where he was fond of yelling “touchdown.” 

He was predeceased by parents, Walter and Helen Martin; brother Ronald; and sister Rita.

He is survived by daughter, Cara Martin-Tetreault, and husband, Peter, of Bath; sons Bobby Martin and Christopher Martin, and their mother, Karen Griffin, of Brunswick; grandchildren Ella, Grace and Bryce; and daughters Karen Cacciatori, of Arizona, and Michelle Shuller, of Florida.

The family thanks the staff of Maine Medical Center who cared for him during his many visits and the myriad of physicians that supported him in the Portland area. The family also thanks the staff at Brentwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Yarmouth for their care and professionalism.

The funeral mass was held Nov. 11 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Brunswick. A reception followed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Coastal Humane Society, 30 Range Road, Brunswick, ME 04011 or coastalhumanesociety.org.