Ronald Martin

Portsmouth, RI - Ronald Martin, 74, of 77 President Avenue, Portsmouth, RI, died Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at St. Lukes Hospital, after battling interstitial fibrosis for a year.He was the husband of the late Amelia Oliveira Martin. Born in Fall River, MA on October 15, 1934, he was the son of the late Manuel Scotty and Mary Machado Martin.Ronald Martin was employed with the Department of Defense Naval Underwater Systems Center for 35 years as a Contracts Officer. He dealt extensively with defense companies in the U.S. as well as Foreign Allies. He worked on projects from designing new uniforms for the US Coast Guard to the Tomahawk Cruise Missile and Ohio Class Submarines. Upon his retirement at age 55, he worked at local area defense subcontractors including Seacorp.Ron had a smile and a helping hand for everyone he would meet. He lived his life believing it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak, and accomplished this in many ways. As the Treasurer of St. Elizabeths Credit Union in Fall River he assisted low-income residents with loans. As a member of the Bristol Fraternal Order of the Elks he was involved in charity work. Over the course of his life he helped many deserving people find employment.He was a past president of the Seaconnet Sportsmans Club in Portsmouth. His favorite hobbies included fishing, golf and baseball. He is survived by his son David Martin, his daughter Mary OKeefe, his daughter-in-law Katherine Martin, his granddaughter Riley Turcotte and his beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. His funeral will be held on Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at 9:00 am from the Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am in St. Anthonys Church, 2836 East Main Road, Portsmouth.Burial will be in St. Columbas Cemetery in Middletown.Calling hours will be held on Monday, July 6, 2009, from 4-7pm in the funeral home. Donations in his memory may be made to the Robert Potter League for Animals, PO Box 412, Newport, RI 02840 or to the American Lung Association, 260 West Exchange Street, Suite 102-B, Providence, RI 02903.