James (Jim) William Martin Jr., 70, passed away peacefully on January 6, 2026, in Sarasota, Florida, after a short battle with cancer. He was born on April 19, 1955, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
Jim spent most of his life in West Point, Indiana and graduated from Attica High School in 1973. He was a mechanic by trade, a role that perfectly suited his natural ability as a tinkerer and problem-solver. He was known for his ingenuity and determination to fix what was broken using whatever he had at hand - once repairing a headlight with nothing more than a paper clip. His creativity, persistence, and practical intelligence were traits that made him successful.
After retirement from a decades long career as an ASE certified mechanic for Tippecanoe School Corporation, Jim moved to Sarasota, Florida, where he continued to tinker, enjoyed fishing and scouring the beaches for shells and shark teeth.
Jim is survived by his wife of 50 years, Debra Martin; his three children, Angela Robertson (husband Brett) of Attica, Indiana, James Martin III (wife Jana) Odon, Indiana, and Melissa Sigman (husband Robert) of Louisville, Colorado; and his five beautiful grandchildren Hayden, Adalyn, Nella, Jared, and Silas. He is also survived by his sister, Jennifer Heazeltine, his brother, David Martin, and many cousins.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Nancy Lee Lank, and his father, James William Martin Sr.
A celebration of life will be held in the West Point Cemetery, West Point, Indiana on April 18, at 12 pm.