Phil Martin

Phillip P. Martin
02 May 1935 - 30 Jan 2023

Clubs & Associations

Obituary

Our beloved friend, fellow dancer, club member, and officer Phil Martin died peacefully in his sleep at 11ː50 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2023, with his faithful companion-dog Kramer curled up next to him. He spent his final two months at home in the condo he shared with John Bauder and Chip Prince, cared for by them with the amazing help of the dedicated nurses and aides from Family Hospice Care (familyhospicecare.com)

In his nearly 88 years Phil blessed many with his positive attitude, his willingness to help, and his utter dependability. He was a longtime member of both Boots in Squares and the Palm Springs Gay Men's Chorus, serving on the boards of both groups. Phil was always very loyal to his friends, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for them.

He could and did make friends everywhere, whether ushering in the lobby of a concert venue, welcoming new members to PSGMC, holding court at Streetbar, or enjoying a vacation in Puerto Vallarta with his best friends. There was no one more dependable to trust with walking your don on a daily or weekly basis or house-sitting while you were away on a trip.

On Saturday, March 18, 2023, we will celebrate Phil's life beginning with a Requiem Mass at St. Theresa's Catholic Church (10 a.m., 2800 Ramon Road, Palm Springs), where his ashes will then be interred in their new columbarium. This will be followed by an informal 2 p.m. gathering at Streetbar, aka "Phil's living room", at 224 East Arenas, Palm Springs, where we will tip our fedoras, reminisce, and raise a glass to him.^[1]

Remembrances

John and I have sad news, the news we’ve been preparing for two months now to share: Our beloved Phil Martin has at long last made his final transition. He died peacefully in his sleep at 11:50 p.m. on Monday, January 30, with his faithful companion-dog Kramer curled up next to him. He had spent his final two months at home in the condo we shared with him, where we had cared for him with the amazing help of the dedicated nurses and aides from Family Hospice Care (familyhospicecare.com). It was our honor and privilege to be there for him in the final weeks of his life, to give back some of the love and care that he had so selflessly shared with us over the years.

Phil’s extended family have all been informed, and we’ve also done our best to break the news to those friends who were closest to him; now it’s time to let everyone know. Plans are being made for a day of celebration of his life, to begin with a Requiem Mass at St. Theresa’s Roman Catholic Church in Palm Springs, followed by other secular, social gatherings. We will get the word out once the time and date have been set.

An actual obituary will appear at a later time. For now, suffice it to say that in his nearly 88 years Phil has blessed many with his positive attitude, his willingness to help out in any organization he was part of, and his utter dependability. During his years in Palm Springs alone he touched many people with his generosity as a member and officer of both the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus and the Boots in Squares square dance club; on an individual level there was no one more dependable to trust with walking your dog regularly or house-sitting while you were away on a trip.

Phil was always very loyal to his friends, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for them. He could and did make friends everywhere, whether at Streetbar, while ushering in the lobby of a concert venue, or in Puerto Vallarta with his best friends. Soon it will be our turn to tip our fedoras to honor his memory. Watch this space; information will follow soon via social media, text messages, and phone calls.

— Chip Prince