John Jacob Martens

December 14, 1932 - April 10, 2025

In loving memory ~

John Martens passed away on April 10, 2025, at Westview Place long-term care home in Penticton, at the age of 92 years.

He was born on December 14, 1932 (at 2:30 in the morning, he said) near Graysville Manitoba on the farm of his parents Jacob and Sara (Enns) Martens. John was the youngest child and was predeceased by his parents, his brothers Henry and Jacob, and his sisters Katherine (Johnson) and Erna (Thiessen).

His parents moved from Manitoba to the Abbotsford, BC area to farm in 1943. John attended the Mennonite Educational Institute, where he met Susanna Klassen, whom he married on July 26, 1953. After matriculating from MEI, John went to work but also found time to continue his education with stints at Bible school, as well as industrial first-aid training and coursework for his eventual professional designation as a Certified General Accountant. During the 1950s, he worked for various employers on logging, mining, and construction projects throughout BC. Between 1955 and 1964, he worked as a field accountant for General Construction Limited (which became Standard General Construction Limited in 1963) on highway and airport projects throughout BC, Alberta, and the Yukon. Between 1964 and 1969, he worked in more managerial positions for the BC Hydro and Power Authority on the Duncan and Mica Dam projects. Between 1969 and 1974, he worked as a management accountant for Block Brothers Realty Ltd. in Vancouver. In 1974, having shifted his focus from accounting to real estate, he moved with his family to Penticton. He worked as a realtor for several firms in Penticton over the years, including for a time his own firm Penticton Realty Ltd. During his business career, he was active in a number of Christian charitable organizations, including Gideons International, Mennonite Central Committee, and Okanagan Gleaners Society, among others. When he retired after 26 years as a realtor, he only increased his efforts at the Okanagan Gleaners operation in Oliver. He also had life-long interests in music and the outdoors. He played violin as a boy and sang in men's gospel groups as an adult. By his own reckoning, he shot twenty-five moose in his life, to provide food for his family.

He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Susanna, and their four children John (June Johnsson) of Kelowna, Victor (Kayleen Wilkins) of Abbotsford, David of Penticton, and Sheila Kindberg of the West Kootenays; as well as by four grandchildren Nicholas Martens (Jodi Christianson) of West Kelowna, Valerie Martens of Kelowna, Claire Southwell (Daniel) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Fraser Martens (Roberta Dahlin) of Boise Idaho; and by ten great-grandchildren Alexander, Charlotte, Hannah, Liam, Nathan, Peter, Rosa, and Timothy Martens, and James and John Southwell. He was also predeceased by son-in-law Darren Kindberg and great-granddaughter Amelia Martens.

The family would like to thank the staff and volunteers at Penticton Regional Hospital and Westview Place for all that they did for John in his last few months.

A memorial service will be held on April 27, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. at Providence Funeral Home, 1258 Main Street, Penticton. There will be no reception following and interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Okanagan Gleaners or to the charity of your choice.

 Providence Funeral Homes & Crematorium