Obituary
Dexter Edward Martin, a resident of Welches for almost 31 years, passed away June 27, 2021 due to complications from Alzheimer’s Disease. He was born in Portland on February 11, 1939 to Edward C. Jones and Hazel Edgerton, raised in Oregon by his mother and stepfather, Maurie Martin, and grew up with one sister, Janna Crabb.
Dexter went to work as a teenager when his stepfather died and he became the sole support of his mother and sister. While working full time, he attended Portland State University and following graduation went east to the University of Virginia Law School. He will be forever grateful to his professors for encouraging him to attend law school. Practicing corporate law was his passion and he was so good at it!
Dexter was a senior partner in the law firm of Stoel Rives where he practiced for 35 years until his retirement in 2000. He used to plan his business meetings in the mornings so he could sneak out of the office and attend his boys’ sporting events! His sons were his world and he loved each new phase of their growing up.
He married the love of his life, his “forever lady” Lenore, as he often called her, and they had 36 happy years together, 30 of which were spent in what he used to describe as “the old house on the Salmon River on Mt. Hood.” It was a home they found in 1991 when they went looking “for a place close to work” but fell in love with the house on the river, so spent nine years commuting to Portland before they retired. The home was built in 1926 and never used as a full time residence until the Martins moved in. They loved to travel when it wasn’t for business and enjoyed learning about the Arts and Crafts Movement together. Dexter took up woodworking and built lovely pieces that grace their home.
Dexter and Lenore became actively involved with Friends of Timberline, the not for profit organization that supports restoration projects for Timberline Lodge. They spent several summers volunteering with the US Forest Service Interpretive Program at Timberline Lodge, staffing the USFS desk, leading tours of the historic lodge and chatting up visitors about hiking trail information, and Lenore served on the board of directors of FOT for many years. Hiking and walking on the mountain became passions as a result, and they were still walking three miles every day until the week before Dexter passed.
Dexter has two sons, David (Sarah) and Brian, and two grandchildren, Kennin and Julia.
At his request, no services will be held except a private family celebration of his life sometime this fall, his favorite time of year on Mt. Hood.
Dexter was always a gentleman, always loving and kind, even when the cruel diagnosis of Alzheimer’s altered his life forever. He was able to stay at home with Lenore as his care giver until the end. May he rest in peace.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to Friends of Timberline to support the US Forest Service Interpretive Program at Timberline Lodge, or to Alzheimer’s Disease Research.