How one gift speaks to the legacy of CAPT and Mrs. Charles Martin USN – and to the spirit of giving that lives on through their children.
by Ashley Estill
CAPT Charles A. Martin (Chuck), USN and his wife, Helen were lifelong learners. Veterans. Parents. Patriots. Adventurers. He was a Renaissance man, and she was ahead of her time. They both had an immense love of, and service to, their country.
Chuck and Helen both served in the U.S. Navy. Ensign Helen Nickerson Martin was honorably discharged in 1952 after working in the Bureau of Navy Personnel. CAPT Charles Martin graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1948, served as a Merchant Mariner for several years, and went on to get his master’s degree in geology, which was his career course.
Their daughter, Linda Sanders, shared stories of her parents and the legacy they left, which included a generous charitable gift annuity to Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS).
After becoming a geologist, Chuck worked for a few different companies before traveling to Adelaide, Australia for a job in 1965. Chuck and Helen, with their children Robert and Linda, lived in Australia for almost eight years. According to Linda, her parents believed in taking advantage of life’s wonderful opportunities, especially while living abroad.
“My mother said we’re going to see the world and we saw the world,” Linda recalled. “When we were little, she would read to us – she wanted us to be well-rounded. When she read about Buddhism and showed us a picture of the great Buddha in Kamakura, Japan, I asked if we could go see it someday. On our first home leave we visited Japan, and while there we saw the incredible bronze Buddha. We were raised with an appreciation of culture, respect for diversity and respect for others.”
Appreciating that travel provided them both a wonderful and humbling perspective on the world, Linda also shared that it reinforced how proud her parents were to be citizens of the United States.
Upon their return to the U.S., the family lived in Denver before moving down to Houston, then Dallas. When the time was right, Chuck and Helen started their own geological consulting company – which they ran until retirement. They were both incredibly intelligent – Helen attended Colby College, worked at the United Nations, and was a smart businesswoman.
Providing a little color on her parents’ lives, Linda shared that her parents bought a boat and sailed the inland waterways on the East Coast, traveling from Florida to the Chesapeake Bay.
“That was pretty cool and adventuresome of them,” Linda said. “They had a couple of Siamese cats on board – they loved animals.”
A true Renaissance man, Chuck shifted gears from sailing boats to flying planes, he attained his pilots’ license, was an accomplished artist, and always helped vacuuming around the house.
Their pride of country is what led both of her parents to serve, and continue to give back throughout their lives.
“My parents felt giving back was important,” Linda said. “My mother used to do Meals on Wheels, and help both children and adults learn to read. She had a wonderful financial acumen and knew that by providing an annuity gift to NMCRS, it would grow, and they’d receive a benefit as well.”
In 2010, they set up their charitable gift annuity to NMCRS. The Society received the full amount of heir donation when Chuck passed away in 2020. He was preceded in death by Helen in 2018.
“My parents felt a strong commitment to the Navy. Their gift to NMCRS speaks to the life they led – they were very intentional.”
So how does a charitable gift annuity work? In simple terms, a donor funds the annuity with a minimum donation of $10,000, naming up to two beneficiaries to receive annuity payments for the remainder of their lives. The donor receives a partial charitable deduction for the gift, and the annuity payments can be made monthly, quarterly or annually. Upon the passing of all beneficiaries, the funds become available to the Society to use to assist Sailors and Marines in need.
“Think about the kind of positive outcome that providing a gift could mean to those who benefit from NMCRS,” Linda said. “My parents not only gave a gift to NMCRS, but they set an example for the rest of us. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.”