Joseph M. Martins

Joseph M. Martins, an accomplished musician, fisherman extraordinaire, small business owner and lifelong fan of the Beatles and the Who, died unexpectedly at home on Friday, August 21, 2015.Born on January 26, 1956 at Newport Hospital, he was the son of Caroline M. (Murray) Martins and the late Joseph I. Martins.Joe was a proud product of the Newport public school system, where he began his musical odyssey. His natural talents first emerged with violin lessons, progressing to the clarinet and saxophone at Cranston-Calvert, Thompson Junior High and Rogers High School, where he played in the school band and orchestra.He was a member of the Rogers High School class of 1974 and earned a bachelor's degree in natural resources from the University of Rhode Island.Besides his love for music, Joe was wildly passionate about fishing. In 2004, he acquired Point Jude Lures, a then forgotten brand of specialized fishing lures that quickly became a favorite of anglers far and wide. Joe meticulously fashioned his product line by hand and distributed the popular lures to retailers up and down the East Coast, earning him the nickname "Point Jude Joe".Joe was devoted to his family and was a loyal friend to many. Quiet and gentlemanly by nature, he came fully alive on stage, saxophone in hand, belting out sassy solos to the delight of varied audiences while collaborating with many artists and bands across the region. His first band was called Mercury, which evolved into The Limit. Additionally, he played with Soul Ambition, the New York Minute, Big Cat Blues, the Lois Greco Band, and the James Montgomery Band, among others.But, it was playing in the band Triple Threat, a reunion with original bandmates Steve Russo and Steve Topazio from those early Mercury days, where Joe really blossomed as a saxophone virtuoso and developed a loyal following of fans. Not to be limited to a single focus, Joe also wrote original material and sang an occasional number during any given set.In addition to his mother, he is survived by his brother Jeffrey P. Martins and his wife Natalie (Haas) Martins of Portsmouth, RI. He was predeceased by his brother John C. Martins, husband of Cynthia (LaBossiere) Martins of Tiverton, RI. He is also survived by his nieces Danielle Nicolet, of Berkley, MA, Amanda Martins of Tiverton, RI, Jacqueline Martins of Portsmouth, RI, and his nephew Brian J. Martins of Tiverton, RI. He leaves behind his great-nephew Henry Reynolds of Tiverton, RI and great-niece Kyleigh Nicolet of Berkley, MA.Calling hours will be held at the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway in Newport, RI on Thursday, August 27th from 4 to 7 pm. A funeral mass will be held at Jesus Savior Church at 11:00 am on Friday, August 28th. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Newport Rescue Wagon Fund, 21 W. Marlborough Street, Newport, RI 02840. Cemetery Details St. Columba Catholic Cemetery Brown's Lane Middletown, RI, 02842 Visitation AUG 27. 04:00 PM - 07:00 PM Memorial Funeral Home 375 Broadway Newport, RI, US, 02840 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.memorialfuneralhome.com Service AUG 28. 11:00 AM Jesus Savior Church Broadway at Vernon Ave Newport, RI, US, 02840