David Earl Martin passed away on October 14, 2025, after complications from a fall in late August. He was 4 weeks shy of celebrating his 84th birthday on November 8th. Born in Muscatine, IA, to the late James “Speed” Otto Martin and (Wilma Mae) Patsy Martin, he and his 2 siblings spent their childhood moving around the Midwest, but spent most of their time in Salina, KS.

David loved talking about politics, his ever-growing art collection, classic cars, soccer, flying, and his kids. He earned the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts, a distinctive honor shared by many in the Martin family.  An avid learner and teacher, David loved the community colleges and universities he attended and, eventually, served as a faculty member/professor. Early in his career, David was elected as a City Councilman in Great Bend, KS, whetting his life-long love of politics. He was extremely proud of the work he did throughout his life with the Peace Corps, Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L), Empire District Electric Company, and the Kansas Energy Office. One of his biggest professional achievements was the creation and implementation, through signed Congressional Legislation, of two major wind farms in Kansas & Missouri. David enjoyed attending professional soccer games, Dinner Theater, the Kansas City Ballet, and many art shows & exhibits. His move to Kingswood Senior Living Facility (KC, MO) in 2019 provided a new group of valuable friends, opportunities for involvement (including the Residents Association Board), and many social activities, from Aquafit to Wii bowling.

David was surrounded throughout his life with people who loved him, excited his curiosity, and challenged him mentally. He traveled the world with those people, adopting the culture and language in Africa, enjoying the snow and altitude of the Rocky Mountains, and revealing buried history at archeological excavation sites. He passed with many of those people still surrounding him.

David was preceded in death by his parents, Jim & Patsy Martin, and sister Denise Gum.

David is survived by his daughter Chris (Chad) Barnett, and son James; his brother Doug (Kim); brother-in-law Ron; a niece, and numerous nephews and their families.

Dad preferred to forego a formal funeral service, but details of a more casual gathering can be found here (an RSVP is appreciated for planning purposes): https://evite.me/w5az2tGajz

In lieu of flowers, David would encourage you to donate to an establishment of higher-learning, or a charity that’s important to you, or pick one of his favorites:

The Land Institute of Salina ( https://landinstitute.org/donate/ )

Kansas City NPR ( https://kcur.org/donate )

Kansas City PBS (816-756-3580 Option #1 or email membership@kansascitypbs.org ).