Martin, Dale R.
Dale R. Martin, 80, passed away at his home, 108 Greenbrier Drive, Radford, Va. on December 17, 2015. Born on September 16, 1935, he was the only child of the late Horace O. Martin and Golda P. Martin of Jonesborough, Tenn. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Radford, Va.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Daris B. Martin; daughter, Darlene M. Lane; son-in-law, Dr. Paul A. Lane; and grandchildren, Anna Lane and Andrew Lane.
Dale graduated from Sulphur Springs High School in Jonesborough, Tenn. He earned a B.A. from Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tenn., and a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, N.C. Ordained to the ministry in 1956 at Oak Hill Baptist Church in Jonesborough, Tenn., he spent over 42 years serving as pastor of churches in North Carolina and Tennessee, including fulltime pastorates at Mount Moriah Calvert, Brevard, N.C.; Churchland Baptist Church, Lexington, N.C.; Clark Street Baptist Church, Johnson City, Tenn.; and Calvary Baptist Church, Reidsville, N.C.
He was active in Baptist denominational life, having served as moderator of associations in North Carolina and Tennessee. He also served on the General Board of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and the Executive Committee of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. In addition to his ministry in local congregations, Dale served for a time as a chaplain at Mountain Home Veterans’ Hospital in Johnson City, Tenn., and he was a chaplain for Hospice of Rockingham County in North Carolina.
The family will receive friends at First Baptist Church of Radford from 12-1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 22 followed by a 2 p.m. memorial service. The service will be conducted by Rev. Kent Taylor and Dr. Paul Lane.
The family is thankful for special caregivers who provided assistance during the last few months of Dale’s life: Brenda Brown, Ken Stone, Good Samaritan Hospice, and the many volunteers from First Baptist, Radford.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to First Baptist Church 215 3rd Ave. Radford, VA or the Martin Scholarship Fund of Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, TN.
The Martin family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory in Radford. www.mullinsfuneralhome.com