Donald Martin

Donald F. Martin of Aurora, a retired radio news broadcaster and Denver’s first air traffic reporter, passed away on September 4, 2019, at Skyridge Medical Center, surrounded by his family. He was 87.

Martin was born on January 26, 1932 in Denver, CO to Donald F. and Frances Martin. A life-long Denverite, he graduated from South High School and attended the University of Denver. In 1963, he married Patricia Rankin and they recently celebrated 56 years of marriage.

Martin’s storied and history-making career in Denver radio began in his home-built radio station in the basement of his parent’s home in his teens. He broadcast to the neighborhood until the FCC closed him down. He went on to become Denver’s first airborne traffic reporter in the late 1950’s as KIMN’s “Air Alert”. Martin is considered the pioneer of live news coverage in Denver as the Vice President of News Operations for KIMN radio. He designed a state-of-the-art newsroom that was widely considered one of the best newsrooms in the country throughout the 1960s. Martin and his reporters were the first to cover news in Denver as it was happening including the flood of 1965. In 1970, he added his own production business, Don Martin Productions, to his active career. He is most well-known in popular culture as the voice of The Shane Company for four decades with the iconic tagline “Now you have a friend in the diamond business.”

While continuing as a news broadcaster, he wrote, produced and provided voice talent to the ground-breaking film “The Thread of Life” for the Denver Fire Department. This fueled his passion for the fire service and led him to become a volunteer firefighter for North Washington Fire 1971 (now Adam’s County Fire) and the Denver Fire Dept. He would go on to become the Assistant Fire Chief and, later, Interim Chief for Castlewood Fire (now part of South Metro Fire) while continuing to volunteer for North Washington and Denver Fire. He retired from news and air traffic reporting in 1997 and continued to run Don Martin Productions until a few years ago.

Martin is survived by his wife Patricia along with his daughter Amy Martin, Aurora, and his son Michael, Bow Mar. He is also survived by three grandchildren and his sister, Janie Vosberg of Kiowa. He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Larry.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 am on Oct. 18, 2019, at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 9203 S. University Blvd., Highlands Ranch, CO 80126.

Contributions may be made in Martin’s honor to the Denver Dumb Friend’s League, 2080 S. Quebec St., Denver, CO 80231 and www.ddfl.org.

Fond memories and expression of sympathy may be shared here and by signing the online guestbook.