While none of us see his journey home to heaven as "unexpected" per se, given his dedication to the Lord and His ministry, we figured that Dad would appreciate the reference to Tolkien's Hobbit. We, his sons, are writing this on behalf of him and our mother, the beneficiary.

On November 23rd, Gordon Martin suffered a ruptured aneurysm at the base of his brain while preparing for an afternoon walk with his lovey wife, Sue. Emergency services were on the scene immediately but no brain activity was present after the first few minutes. While we all rushed to be by his bedside, the doctors were able to keep his breathing and circulation functioning until the wee hours of the following morning, when we were able to all say goodbye.

To say that his passing was sudden is an understatement. To say that we feel robbed of future decades we could have spent with him is true, but the knowledge that we'll see him for eternity drowns this feeble protest in the love and mercy of our Father.

Mum and Dad's community in Hope has been wonderful, loving, and gracious in this harrowing time. We are confident that mum will be well looked-after in the days and years to come. That being said, while we adjust to what this new normal looks like without our patient and wise patriarch, there are many unexpected expenses coming mum's way.

Since Dad was the source of 80% of the household income via his work with Wycliffe, this financial loss is an unwelcome burden on top of the immeasurable loss of the man, himself. Under Canadian employment law, Wycliffe cannot collect any continued donations to Dad's work from the day of his passing and it may be months before we know of any insurance or pension payouts.

Please consider donating to this fund to help us with funeral and living costs on top of anything else that we haven't anticipated given the suddenness of this tragedy. For those who were regular supporters and feel like they'd like to continue supporting mum for a while longer, cheques and e-transfers can be sent to her directly, but unfortunately no charitable receipts can be issued since there would be no receiving organization.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Already, the outpouring of love and the words spoken from contrite hearts has been overwhelming but most welcome.

Love,

Andrew, Michael, and Nathaniel

This campaign is unpublished.

GiveSendGo