Robert D. Martens, Sr.

PLEASE NOTE:

Because of the weather predicted for Monday we have moved the Funeral Mass to Tuesday. The visitation hours will remain Sunday 3-7 PM.

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Funeral services will be held 9:30 AM on Tuesday from the funeral home then to Our Lady of the Valley Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne where a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass will be offered.

Robert D. Martens, Sr., age 76, of Clifton passed Tuesday, November 26, 2019.

He was born in Hackensack to George and Marjoriy Martens and raised in Elmwood Park where he graduated from East Paterson High School with the Class of 1961.  Robert lived in Woodland park for fifty years before moving to Clifton three years ago.

As a young man he worked as a forklift operator and chemical blender for the Unger Company.   He soon became a machinist having worked in several area machine shops including the Chrysler Company, Singer-Kearfott in Totowa, Bejour Machine Shop in Oakland to name a few.  He truly enjoyed the challenge of machining instruments like gyros for NASA or military aircraft and weaponry.  At home he would often make tools to help him repair, calibrate, and maintain his tools and instruments at work. Many of his tools were old school machinist’ tools and he loved seeing the new tools of the craft like lasers, CNC machines and milling machines. Robert blended his skills as a machinist with his love of music and musical instruments and worked for many years repairing and rebuilding all kinds of musical instruments. He really enjoyed working with woodwind instruments and owned his own instrument repair company called Martens Musical Instrument Repairs which he operated out of his home for several years.  Robert also worked at Robbies Music City in Wayne and for the Peragallo Organ Company in Paterson.  He played the saxophone beautifully but also played guitar, flute, trombone, French horn, the organ, and probably some other instruments we forgot, all with proficiently.

Robert was dedicated to his Catholic faith and a parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne where for many years where he sang in the church choir. He was a caring, kind man who was always considerate of those around him. He was always putting others needs before his own and willing to help anyone with his time and talent.

Many will remember Robert’s love of gardening.  His backyard in Woodland Park was the home of a man who needed a farm.  In his little yard he grew corn, carrots, peas, cucuzza squash, cucumbers, radishes, several different types of tomatoes, kale, broccoli, basil, parsley, eggplant, strawberries, and grapes.  Let’s not forget he had a mulberry tree and fig trees were said to be a passion of his. He was also an excellent cook of Italian specialties. He made gallons of sauce, pickled his own cucumbers, made his own bread, and for many years he made his own wine.  Now when making his wine he would go to Corrados and buy grapes but insisted on making all the necessary equipment for making the wine himself.  That reveals Robert’s broader capability of making just about anything. If he could make it himself he would. If he saw any way to make it better he would. On many occasions his kids would come to him with broken toys that would be returned to them with dad asserting it was better than it was when new. He also told the children to listen even if you were well versed in the topic as you may pick up something you didn’t know. If you could figure out how to do it faster, better, or improve it in some way shape or form just do it.

Robert was the loving husband of the late Frances Perry Martens (d.1999) and loving companion of Marge Miller; he was the dearly loved brother of George Martens and his wife Rena of Wayne; devoted father of Robert Martens, Jr. and his wife Amy of Wantage, Frances V. Martens of Vernon, and Matthew Martens of Woodland Park; he was the cherished grandfather of Brandon Daniel Martens of Wantage, Joanna Maria Rosa of Paterson, Allysa Nicole Rosa of Waldwick, Albert Louis Rosa of Woodland Park, Brian Michael Rosa of Vernon, Jorge Rosa of Vernon, Christopher Rosa of Vernon; much loved great-grandfather of Austin Tyler Rosa of Waldwick and Jaiden Alberto Castro of Waldwick.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center would be greatly appreciated.