Terrence Earl Martinson

On July 18, 2026, Terry Martinson escaped the bounds of earth and greeted St. Peter. His family hopes that heaven is prepared for his contrarian spirit and dry sense of humor. In life, Terry was never at a loss to drop a killer one liner…but you truly needed to be quick on the uptake to catch his wry humor. His choice of words was always deliberate and spot on.

Terry was a consummate Seattle sports fan. He survived the infamous 1969 Washington Huskies season, a 1 and 9 debacle, and managed to see his beloved Huskies win the Rose Bowl in 1978 under Don James. He was able to see the Seahawks make it to four Super Bowls and win two of them. He will never forget about the Seattle Super Sonics in 1979. He was also able to usher in professional soccer in Seattle in the Kingdome on the very day it opened and saw the Seattle Sounders. He got to see the return of baseball to Seattle with the Mariners after Milwaukee stole our Pilots. And he got to see the return of hockey to Seattle with the Kraken. And, he raised three kids that were REQUIRED to know everything about sports (and we do).

And while he got to be a part of the all of the sports action in Seattle as a fan, he NEVER missed a soccer game for either of his girls. He coached his son’s basketball team. He coached the rifle and pistol team for his daughters. He truly enjoyed seeing his granddaughter play hockey and his other granddaughter play volleyball. He went to every play, recital and activity he could attend. He made sure that his kids went camping every summer that he could take them. When he was present, he was fully there and his kids will never forget that part of him.

Terry was a history buff with a wicked accurate memory. This always made for extremely lively dinner conversations especially with his always contrarian viewpoint. He loved to take the opposite point of view just to get things started. While a challenging premise, it ensured that his kids could debate and always be able to articulate an opinion. His spirit will live on with every discussion his children have.

His passion for history and infallible memory will be remembered fondly. He knew every detail of World War II down to troop movements. He could describe in detail all of the different modifications the B17 went through during the war. His uncanny ability to have instant of recall such details never eluded him, even up to his very last day. His mind was incisive and brilliant.

His kids will remember his ever present coffee cups (filled with nasty percolated Folgers), SafeGuard Soap, Old Spice and DoubleMint Gum. Every Beatles’ song will bring a little tear, as well as the smell of a Zippo lighter.

Terry is preceded in death by his mother Anne and father Earl as well as his brother John and sister Jaunita. He is survived by his daughters Kristen and Amy, son Eric, granddaughters Reagan and Seraphina and his ex-wife Penny.

His family will schedule a memorial time for Terry. We plan to have a lively discussion of sports and history. We will likely be drinking martinis. And if you are joining us, come prepared with facts for an incisive debate