Albert D. Mart

Al Mart was born March 16, 1932, and raised a farmer's son in Dallas, Iowa. When it was time to plan a future, he took his father's advice and got out of farming. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served as an MP, or Military Policeman. A veteran of the Korean War, he used his GI benefits to enroll in college. He received his B.A. in psychology, and taught seventh and eighth graders at Dallas Center, Iowa.
While still in college, he married his wife, Pat. "We were dumb," she says. While raising a family and coaching Girls' Basketball in Gilbert, Iowa, Al went back to Iowa State University, this time for an M.A. in education. Not so dumb after all, Al and Pat celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in December.
At heart, Al Mart was a resourceful farm boy who could and did fix or make anything. He even helped Pat sew her first maternity dress, mainly because he didn’t trust her to do a good enough job. Typical of the best men of his generation, Al Mart had high expectations of his family, his students, and most of all, himself. He was a rock. He provided, he nurtured, he critiqued, he yelled, he set standards and instilled values; he was there.
It should be pointed out that Al Mart is survived by generations of High School students. At retirement, he had served as guidance counselor at Pleasant Vally High School for 23 years. In summertime, he taught Driver’s Education. As a counselor, he was compassionate; he respected the privacy of his students, and only brought his work home if a student had a crisis in the middle of the night, which happened more than once. Even then, the anguished adolescent remained nameless.
Although his body succumbed to illness on January 24th, his spirit lives on. He is survived, and sorely missed, by his wife, Pat, their children, Kellene Rae Mart, of Iowa City, Kae Lyn Mart, of Ames, Iowa, Jeanne Mart, of Fraser, Colo., Mollie H. M. (and Stephen) Willis, of Plainfield, Ill., Eric J.D. Mart, of Davenport, and David Patrick (and Karri) Mart, of Bettendorf. He had seven grandchildren, Kylie, Lynnea, and Patrick Mart, and Alexandria, Simone, Jaryn, and Anthony Willis; two sisters, Margaret (Paul) Umble, Knoxville, Iowa, and Linda (John) Johnson, Indianola, Iowa; and five brothers, Lloyd (Mary) Mart, Roseville, Minn., Gordon Mart, Des Moines, Iowa, Mike Mart, Des Moines, Rick Mart, Melcher-Dallas, and Gary Mart, Knoxville, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by three infant brothers and his beloved daughter, Ann Rene Mart.
Visitation is 4-8 p.m. Friday, January 27, 2006, at the McGinnis Chambers Funeral Home, Bettendorf. Services will be held in the McGinnis Chambers Chapel on Saturday, January 28, at 11 a.m. Memorials may be made to Trinity Pathway Hospice, or St. Jude Children's Hospital.