Saint Mary's Alum, Sgt. Timothy Martin '04, Killed in the Iraq War

Army Sgt. Timothy Martin '04, who majored in biology at Saint Mary's, was killed in Taji, Iraq, on Feb. 8 along with three other soldiers when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. He was 27.

Sgt.Martin and the other men who were killed were members of the 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii.

"Tim was a dedicated student and great friend," said biology professor Margaret Field. "He was an eager student and willing participant in laboratory. He was well liked by students and professors. He was a kind and gentle man, and he will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know him."

A memorial Mass will be held in the Saint Mary's Chapel on Sat., Feb. 23 at 2 p.m.

The funeral Mass for Sgt. Martin will be celebrated on Feb. 20 at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Porterville, which is in Tulare County south of Fresno. Martin was from the small Central Valley community of Pixley. Martin will be buried in the Tulare District Cemetery.

Visitation will be at 11 a.m. on Feb. 19 at Miller's Tulare Funeral Home, 151 N. H St. in Tulare. The Rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church on the same day.

Field said Sgt. Martin had "an easy laugh and a great sense of humor. Everybody liked Tim. He was a hard worker and an easy to get along with.

"I had the pleasure of traveling with him for a month during January Term, and exploring New Zealand," Field continued. "He was an enthusiastic traveler with a great love of life. He did everything there was to do – climbed the glacier, hiked, explored and thoroughly enjoyed himself while learning as much as he could."

A childhood friend, Samuel Resa, told the Fresno Bee that Martin had dreamed of being in the military since he was a child. Martin enlisted in the Army after graduating from Saint Mary's.

Resa said he was struck that "he died fulfilling one of his dreams. He's nothing short of a model American."

-- Erin Hallissy
Office of College Communications