George Marti

Services for George Wesley Marti, entrepreneur and philanthropist, aged 95, will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015, at the Cleburne Conference Center (1501 W. Henderson St., Cleburne, TX). Dr. Danny Crosby will officiate, assisted by the Rev. Steve Beckwith and the Rev. John Glover. Interment will be at the Tye Cemetery in Oak Grove. The pallbearers are grandsons and cousins. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, also at the CCC.
George Marti passed away Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in Fort Worth, just a few miles from where he was born.
Mr. Marti was born May 5, 1920, in the Oak Grove, Texas, community. As a child, he developed a great love for radio broadcasting. After graduating from Fort Worth’s Central High School, he worked for radio stations KTAT and KFJZ. When World War II broke out, he volunteered for the United States Marine Corps, attended the first radar class at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and proudly served with Marine Air Group 13 in the South Pacific. He attained the rank of master technical sergeant.
He married Jo Chambers of Everman on Dec. 11, 1944, while on leave. After his discharge in the summer of 1946, they returned to Tarrant County, where he returned to KFJZ. He also built the transmitter for what would be his own radio station in his parents’ living room.
George and Jo Marti moved to Cleburne and started building the station. Radio station KCLE’s first broadcast was a sunrise service on Easter Sunday in 1947. While running his station, Mr. Marti used his education from the Naval Research Lab to design and build equipment that enabled him to make remote broadcasts. Other radio broadcasters asked him how he was making those broadcasts, and started asking him to make similar equipment for them. He developed a separate manufacturing business named Marti Electronics Inc. In 1960, Mr. Marti sold KCLE and concentrated his attention on the manufacturing business. He was a member of the Texas Association of Broadcasters and the National Association of Broadcasters. He knew broadcasters from all over the world, and they knew him.
Mr. Marti joined the Cleburne Rotary Club in 1948. He was a member, board member and officer. His “Rotary year” was July 1974 thru June 1975, during which he served as president. (His last Rotary meeting was Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015.)
The Martis became very interested in Charolais cattle during the 1960s, developing a full-French purebred herd, participating in numerous Charolais associations, and making friends with other Charolais breeders throughout the country.
In 1974, the city of Cleburne annexed Mr. Marti’s residence; as he had long threatened to do if the city ever annexed his home, he ran for mayor. He served as mayor of Cleburne from 1974-86, and remained actively involved in many Cleburne and Johnson County organizations thereafter. (His last Cleburne Economic Development Foundation board meeting was on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015.)
Mr. Marti and his business associate M.E. McClanahan began helping Marti Electronics employees and their children educate themselves by awarding tuition reimbursements and scholarships from the company. Jo and George Marti then founded a charity that would serve students from throughout Johnson County. It was their way of reinvesting in the local community. The Marti Foundation has been helping Johnson County students since 1991. (Mr. Marti’s last day at the office was Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015.)
Mr. Marti served on the Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Board of Trustees from 1989-97 and was an honorary member from 1998 to 2015. He also served on the Texas Health Resources Foundation board of trustees from 1998 to 2004.
In 1993, Mr. Marti and friends purchased Community Bank Cleburne, which is now part of First Financial Bank, NA. He served on its board of directors until 2014.
After Jo Marti’s death in 2003, George Marti married Margaret Morris of Cleburne.
Mr. Marti was preceded in death by his parents, Lula Bell and John Marti; sister, Frances Marti Robinson; wife, Jo C. Marti; daughter Ann Marti Schmidt; and beloved family friend, “Ranger” Rick Neace.
His wife, Margaret Morris Marti has also followed him in death on Dec. 19, 2015 and will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his daughter, Pamela Marti Lilly and husband Carroll Lilly; son, Wes Marti; daughter, Michelle S. Marti; son-in-law, Larry B. Schmidt; nine grandchildren, Brant A. Schmidt, Brandi Schmidt Gregg, Rusty B. Schmidt, Angie Beth Schmidt Hubbard, Kristin Lilly, Michael Lilly, Meagan Lilly Frank, John W. Marti, and Matthew Marti; step-sons, Ben, Wendell and Jim Morris; 13 great-grandchildren; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Charles R. and Patricia Chambers; niece, Margie Robinson Norman; and a host of other relatives and friends.
The family suggests that gifts in lieu of flowers be made to the Cleburne Rotary Club Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 1261, Cleburne, TX 76033.