Clarence William "Billy" Martin

 Clarence William "Billy" Martin was born on November 25, 1939, to his loving parents, Clarence and Hazel Martin. Bill departed this earthly life on April 27, 2026, surrounded by his family who lovingly cared for him in his home for the last few months. He is survived by his wife, Kris; four children; and six grandchildren.

Son, brother, cousin, husband, brother-in-law, father, uncle, and grandfather. He was known as GranDaddy, ODaddy, and WhoaDaddy to his six grandchildren. Bill's favorite childhood memories were of spending time in Everett, Pennsylvania, with his mother's family, the Hoovers. He helped during the summers with milking and crop work, which was still done with a team of horses. It may have been there that his interest in horses truly sparked.

 Bill was a true horseman and cowboy at heart. A lifelong member of the National Cutting Horse Association and the American Quarter Horse Association. He was an NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame Member and in 2019 was inducted into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame, the highest honor. He raised and trained many championship cutting horses and in 2014 won a prestigious Triple Crown event, The Summer Spectacular Derby on homegrown Laredo Montana. Bill, along with his friend and business partner, Dave Sherrill, was successful in many land development projects. It was impossible to outwit or outwork him.

 His marriage to Jackie Young Martin produced a son and a daughter, Adam and Rachel. He was so incredibly proud of them both. Adam was Bill's right-hand man in all of Bill's land projects and Rachel was his trusted bookkeeper and accountant. His son-in-law, Chris, shared his work ethic and Bill was very close with him.

 Kris and Bill had two children together, Kaitlyn and Dylan. Kaitlyn has shared her dad’s passion for horses and has won many prestigious championships including being World Champion Non-Pro in 2016 on a 72 Ranch raised mare, Light N Lily...one of Bill's proudest moments. Dylan obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and has a successful practice as a therapist.

 Bill's sister, Liz Pellegrino, always considered her big brother Bill her protector and he looked out for her his whole life. In 2014, Liz and her husband, Saverio, accompanied Bill and Kris on an adventurous cruise to Alaska, a wonderful time and memory.

 Bill's hobbies were many; he was a classic car enthusiast, a snowmobile racer, he set a world record in a drag racing car, traveled across the country on a Harley, and he had an incredible gun collection with an emphasis on guns of the Old West. His house was adorned with many unique antiques, champion belt buckles, and all things cowboy.

 Bill served on the board of many cutting horse associations and was instrumental in the founding of the East Coast Cutting Horse Association and the Pennsylvania Cutting Horse Association and served as president and director of both associations. He was a longtime NCHA Director for Area 19 and served on the NCHA Non-Pro Committee. He was a director for the Augusta Futurity for over 25 years and also served as a director for the Breeders' Invitational. Bill was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone interested in cutting horses and his ranch in Gettysburg was well known for fun Jackpot Cuttings, Clinics, and hosting Area 19 NCHA Day for many years. In 1998, Bill and Kris moved their cutting horse operation to Texas. They purchased 280 acres near Millsap and built an entire facility from the ground up. The Anchor Brand and 72 Ranch were well known throughout the cutting horse community. His charitable contributions were many but often placed anonymously to anyone dealing with hardship.

 In his later years, Bill and Kris traveled extensively. The direction was almost always west - Sedona, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Tombstone, and much of Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. They bought a property in Colorado, Bear Bones Ranch, and enjoyed the wildlife and peaceful solitude of their mountain retreat.

 Bill was healthy, riding horses, and living life until just 12 weeks before his death. We are all grateful that his sickness was not long-lived. He was a brave cowboy to the very end.

 He is lovingly survived by his wife, Kris; his sister and her husband, Liz and Saverio Pellegrino; sisters-in-law, Barb Larsen, Susan and Steve Moser, and Ashana Larsen; and his devoted children, Adam and partner Heather, Rachel and husband Chris, Kaitlyn and husband Cody, and Dylan and wife Heather; his grandchildren, Clayton and Blake, both Penn State honor graduates, and Parker, who will be an honor graduate in June from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and the younger ones, Wilder, Rhen, and Pate – his grandchildren will be his greatest and proudest legacy; his business partner and true friend, Dave Sherrill; his nieces, Amy and Jenny and their children; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

 Special thanks to the following friends who were a constant source of support in these trying weeks: Barbara Larsen, Casey Daily, Colleen Logan, Shona Dufferena, Jan Gandy, Randy and Kelle Chartier, PeeWee and Shannon Clements, and our spiritual advisor, Joe Howard Williamson. We were lucky to have him for 86 years with a clear mind and still working and overseeing the ranch.

 Funeral will be a private graveside service later this summer, where he will rest beside his cherished parents in Everett, Pennsylvania.

 The family is asking in lieu of flowers to please extend an act of kindness to anyone who is dealing with the horrible disease of cancer.

 We have appreciated the acts and words of kindness that have been extended to us. 

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"Life is amazing. 

And then it's awful. 

And then it's amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful it's ordinary and routine. So, breathe in the amazing. Hold on thru the awful. 

Relax and exhale during the ordinary because that's what it means to be alive. And it's breathtakingly beautiful."

~

Arrangements have been entrusted to Galbreaith Pickard Funeral Chapel. https://www.galbreaithpickard.com/