Posted by Washington Post, Thursday, January 10, 2008; B07 on February 26, 2008:

Charles Edgar Martin, Coast Guard Commander Charles Edgar Martin, 81, a retired Coast Guard lieutenant commander who was active in Scouting for more than four decades, died of cancer Dec. 26 at his home in Springfield. During his 27 years in the Coast Guard, he was chief of the Coast Guard's district office of law enforcement in Portsmouth, Va., before serving as a lawyer at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington from 1964 to 1972. In his youth, Cmdr. Martin desired to become an Eagle Scout, but World War II thwarted his plans. However, he remained involved through his sons and other youths. His four sons obtained the highest rank in Scouting. Over 45 years, he was a Scout master, cub leader and Scout commissioner. He had volunteered with Boy Scout Troop 856 at Springfield United Methodist Church since 1964 and also served there in the men's ministry and as an usher. In 1970, he received the Scouts' Silver Beaver Award at the National Court of Honor. Cmdr. Martin was born in Honolulu and spent three years at the United States Military Academy at West Point before graduating in the Coast Guard Academy's class of 1951. He went on to receive three law degrees from George Washington University: a juris doctor in 1958, a master of laws in 1966 and a juris doctor with honors in 1968. He also earned an associate degree in psychology from Northern Virginia Community College in 2004 and was enrolled at George Mason University in the graduate program of biopsychology at the time of his death. He was three classes short of a doctorate, a son said. "He loved learning for the sake of learning. He loved taking classes," said the son, Douglas Martin of Purcellville. Cmdr. Martin was a member of Mensa International, a Dale Carnegie instructor, a Coast Guard Auxiliary officer and a chief election judge at a precinct in Springfield. His marriage to Ruth Miller Martin ended in divorce. His wife of 18 years, Barbara Martin, died in November. Survivors include three other sons from his first marriage, Charles Martin Jr. of McLean, Paul Martin of Falls Church and Eric Martin of Greensboro, N.C.; a sister; two brothers; and five grandchildren.

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