Carl William Martin Jr.

Carl William Martin, Jr. was born January 17, 1955 in Columbus, Ohio. While his parents were happy to have a baby boy, no one was more excited about his birth than his big sister, Carlena. From the moment he arrived, she was his fiercest protector, confidant and ally. Their mom always told them, "You only have each other". From the beginning of his life, until his last night, Carlena was there with him - fulfilling their mom's deathbed request that she take care of her brother.

Carl's parents divorced while he was young. Within a few years, his mom married Frank Manns. However, never was the word stepchild or stepfather used in their home. In fact, Carl was the first to ask him, "Can I call you Dad now?". The answer was a resounding yes. Their father and son relationship blossomed as Frank nurtured Carl's talents for speaking, writing poetry and playing music.

After the family expanded to include 2 more children, they moved to Michigan. Carl was educated primarily in the Detroit public school system. While at Chadsey High, he played drums in the marching and concert bands, ran on the cross country and track teams and was voted to be his graduating class Sergeant-at-Arms. Initially, Carl was not planning to go to college, but after a few weeks working in Wonder Bread's hot factory, he moved heaven and earth to get accepted into Eastern Michigan University that fall.

Almost from the moment he stepped foot on campus, Carl wanted to join Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He was attracted to the smooth, sophisticated style the men of K-A-Y projected. He became the lead Scroller on Delta Nu chapter's "Ultimate 10" line and crossed April 14, 1976. Not enough can be said about the brotherhood and how the members and organization helped refine and focus the young man they affectionately called CC and C.W. He was encouraged to become a better student, give service to the community and to be a good brother to his fellow brothers. He played a key role in Delta Nu earning the 1976 Northern Province's Outstanding Chapter Achievement Award. In 1979, he was honored as the Northern Province's Student of the Year and was a finalist in the National Guide Right Program Student of the Year Pageant.

Carl did not go straight through college in 4 years. He stopped and worked for a few years to earn enough money to cover the cost. When he was ready to go back, he transferred to the University of Michigan and flourished. Previously Carl had been an average student at best, but now he was motivated and earned a scholarship by achieving grades that repeatedly put him on the Dean's List! After graduating, he began working on his Master's degree in Advertising at Michigan State University, but a job offer lured him to New York.

The Big Apple held big things for Carl. He worked on Wall Street by day, and partied with fascinating and famous people by night. He had other dreams though. C.W. Martin became known as The Intellectual Rapper, Comedian, Actor and Writer. His sets at comedy clubs and the Apollo Theater were a mix of monologue, music and observational comedy with a touch of drama. His performances got great reviews in the Village Voice and Variety magazines and even garnered a New York Times article. We all thought his saying, "Time ain't long" was about to come true and he was going to hit it big soon. However, life had another plan in mind.

Buggie, the nickname his family called him, started experiencing severe back pain that affected his walking ability. Eventually he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and the debilitating disease led him to return to Detroit. During this time, he became an Economics and Marketing teacher at Benedictine Catholic School. Each year M.S. claimed a part of his body, but not his mind nor spirit. He became wheelchair bound, but Carl rolled on. He became bed-bound, but he never stopped creating new poetry. When he loss use of his dominant arm and hand and couldn't write anymore, he depended on his ability to memorize. Through it all, this man never complained, he stayed positive and remained optimistic about the future. However, after nearly 30 years, his fight quietly ended.

Carl's mom, Lena Manns, preceded him in death. He leaves to cherish the memories: his dad, Frank Manns; his big sister, Carlena; younger brother, Kaliph; younger sister, Kari; a host of nieces, nephews and cousins, the special brotherhood of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and many devoted and loving friends.