Gary Basil Paul Marten
Gary Basil Paul Marten, 82, of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on January 19, 2025, from complications associated with lung cancer he suffered with for two years. Alongside Gary at his passing, were his wife, his son’s, and his brother.
Gary was born February 7, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Milton and Loreen (Cimaglio) Marten. Being part of a close-knit family, his early years were spent around his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends for Sunday dinners, birthdays, milestone celebrations and holidays. Even after moving the short distance to Valparaiso, IN in 1948, the families still gathered. Valparaiso was home until moving to Bloomington, IN, for the completion of his father Milton’s doctorate degree in education. While attending University High School in Bloomington, IN, Gary played and developed his love for football. In 1958, the family returned to Valparaíso, IN where Gary continued playing football for Valparaiso High School until his graduation in 1960. This is where he met and married Lana Dygert, the mother of his sons Scott and Chad. Gary enrolled in Valparaiso University where he continued to play football while pursuing his education. He graduated in 1964 with a BA in Marketing.
After college, Gary spent a year with US Steel before beginning his employment with The Burrows Company, where he spent most of his work career. Burrows, a Chicago based medical supply company, outfitting hospitals with all the necessary equipment and supplies for full daily operations. Gary’s 40-year career with The Burrows Company started by his servicing the Chicagoland area before moving to Ohio and Pennsylvania to become Regional Vice President. In 1997 Gary married Barbara McAfee Jackson. They bought their current home on a golf course in Coraopolis, PA. Here they enjoyed their 28 years of marriage with family and friends. They traveled the world and enjoyed escaping the cold of Pennsylvania by visiting Florida.
Second only to his love for football was his love and pursuit of golf. This led to his part time job after retirement with Dick’s Sporting Goods in the golf department. That led to his final career with Golf Galaxy as the expert fitter for custom golf clubs. For almost 20 years Gary organized an annual three-day golf outing for fourteen to sixteen of his high school friends and classmates. Gathering in the Toledo, Ohio region, they played six different golf courses, two courses a day, before retiring to evening dinners to reminisce about the day’s golf and good times together in high school. “HOLY TOLEDO!!”
Gary loved all sports but religiously followed all Valparaiso University sports teams, as he watched sports in his classic “man cave” at home, he was surrounded by memorabilia of golf courses he had played, football memorabilia of his favorite team,’ Da Bears,’ and photos of sports in which he participated.
Gary had a profound sense of humor and was always the first to tell a joke, all will miss him.
Family members to cherish memories of Gary are:
Barbara McAfee Jackson Marten, Gary’s wife of 28 years.
Scott Marten (wife Liz) in Geneva, Illinois, Chad Marten in Aurora, Illinois, and stepson Keith Jackson in Toronto Ohio.
Eight Grandchildren: Marco, Matteo and Luca Marten sons of Scott (Liz) Marten, Madison Lonzrick and Peyton Marten, daughters of Chad Marten, Calvin Jackson, Gracie Jackson, and Amanda White children of Keith Jackson.
Five Great Grandchildren: Viv Lonzrick daughter of Madison Lonzrick, Liam Marten son of Peyton Marten, Remmington White, Roman White and Racquel White children of Amanda White.
Bruce and Karla (Kate) Marten in Las Vegas Nevada, Gary’s brother and sister-in-law.
Proceeding Gary in death are, his parents Milton and Loreen Marten and Lana Dygert Marten, mother of Scott and Chad Marten.
A memorial service in Gary’s honor will take place on February 22nd at 11:00 CST at Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division St, River Forest, Illinois, 60305 with Pastor David Lyle officiating.
In leu of flowers, the family requests any donations be made in Gary’s name to the Valparaiso University Athletics Department, by going online and entering “Valpo Victory Fund” naming your gift in the honor of “Gary Basil Paul Marten – Alumni 1964”.
One thought on “Gary Basil Paul Marten”
I first met Gary when I came to work at The Burrows Company in the early 1980’s. I was a salesman with a territory in Central Illinois but even though I didn’t initially work in his region, we all knew Gary’s name and his legend as a great, tireless salesman. He was certainly one of Mike Gira’s favorites.
After a couple of promotions, I became a Director of Group Sales in 1992 and then started working with Gary and his sales teams in the Pennsylvania and Ohio branches. We spent a considerable amount of time together calling on the large regional hospital groups in NE Ohio ( Akron area ), Northwestern Ohio ( Toledo ) area , SE Ohio ( Zanesville ) area and Southwestern Ohio ( Dayton area). We also participated in many of the hospital foundation golf outings.
We spent considerable time together at the VHA/Novation and UHC National conventions entertaining our good customers with a round of golf, a nice dinner and meeting and greeting potential business partners on the showroom floors. Gary was the quintessential schmoozer. He had a great knack for making strangers feel comfortable. He was also like my big brother, a mentor and my friend.
One of my fondest memories working with Gary was his unbelievable memory for knowing every cafe and restaurant that served meatloaf and mashed potatoes for lunch. It was like a ” sixth sense ” for him. Just another natural bond we shared.
I will miss his great sense of humor and our long phone conversations.