Gene Henry Martin, 72, passed away at his home in South Ryegate on August 17after a courageous battle against cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family and faithful dog Layla.  He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle.
He was born January 14, 1952 at the family farm that straddled the Fairlee-Bradford border to Harry and Carrie (Pierson) Martin. During a free-range childhood growing up on the farm, he showed cattle at the local fair, worked for local farmers, and, sometimes, found comfort in a solitary walk on the nearby Sawyer Mountain.
After graduating from Bradford Academy in 1970 he worked for several local contractors and became a skilled carpenter. In 1977, he entered the U S Army, and was stationed in South Korea and Ft. Sills Oklahoma. In 1977 he married Cheryl Rose of Bradford.  Their son Robert was born during the Ft. Sills years with Melanie and Ethan being born after their return to Bradford.
Following discharge, he worked for the VT Highway Dept, was a self-employed carpenter and worked for Allen's Refrigeration. He was also a deputy game warden for the VT Fish and Wildlife and an Orange County deputy sheriff.
His real passion was in law enforcement.  Beginning in 1990, he served briefly as constable for the Village of Bradford and, then, for 25 years as Police Chief for the Town of Bradford. Gene personified community policing.
His was a single-member department, and he coordinated his duties with the Vermont State Police and the Orange County Sheriff's Office, He served as a lieutenant in the latter.  He was available at all hours for community events and often reached out to residents in crisis. His attitude was "just because you have that badge doesn't make you better than anyone else." When he retired in 2012 he was honored by fellow law enforcement officers as well as the general public.
In 2009, Gene married Marjorie Queen at their farm on Jefferson Hill. In the ensuing  years, they shared their passion for gardening and caring for their animals. They achieved their goal of having a semi-sustainable life style.
After working at Crossroads Academy in Lyme, he was promoted to manager of buildings and grounds, a position he held until he became ill.  "He put his heart and soul into that job and those kids, with so much positive energy, he was a true gift to the school." On several occasions, the eighth-grade students dedicated the yearbook to Mr. Martin.
He applied his carpentry skills in the position, including the improvements to facilities and the construction of a bridge and ball wall. This past May, the Crossroads' students dedicated that wall in his honor.
Gene was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his first wife Cheryl Rose, his wife Marjorie Martin and his children Robert Martin (Tamara) of Lyndon Center, Melanie Cardinal (Dan) of Burlington and Ethan Martin of South Ryegate, and stepchildren Emma Newman (Thomas) of Eliot, ME and George Schneidmuller (Ann) of Charleston, SC.
Gene had ten grandchildren, Grace, Elliot, Rita, Sam, Gavin, Zoe, Danny, Graham, Susanna, and Luke.  He really relished the role of grandpa, and gave them a legacy of hard work, kindness, humor, community service, and the importance of family.
He is also survived by his siblings Charlotte Welch of Bradford, Carolyn Coffin (Larry) of Bradford, Larry Martin (Sue) of Fairlee and Kathy Oakes (Dale) of Piermont and by numerous nieces and nephews.  Also survived by his mother-in-law Mitzi Queen of Bradford.
He leaves a lasting imprint on the lives of all who knew and loved him. A celebration of Gene's life will be held at in October, details of which will be announced at a later date.
Donations in his honor may be made to the VT Fish & Wildlife Trust Fund, One National Life Drive, Dewey Building, Montpelier, VT 05620-3208