Frank C. Martino

Frank C. Martino of Potomac, Maryland, died on January 31, 2025, just five weeks shy of his 101st birthday. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He leaves behind his wife Audrey, to whom he was married for nearly 70 years, and their children: John (Carole Wysocki), Tom, Paul (Beth) Martino, and Andrea (Louis) Barrows, and grandchildren: Katherine (Nicholas Gaitan), Frank, and Elisabeth Barrows; Evan, Adrian, Nicole, and Michael Martino. He is survived by his younger brother John Martin and was predeceased by his younger sister Mary Skoog.

Frank was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 8, 1924, to Carmine and Grace Martino. Raised in Brooklyn, he attended New Utrecht High School, which, at the time, was the largest high school in the world. He served in WWIl after enlisting in the Army. He was part of the 13th Airborne Division, Battery B, 676th Glider Field Artillery Battalion. In pursuing his education, he studied at The City College of New York and at Clemson and Columbia universities, with additional studies at Johns Hopkins and George Washington universities. Frank earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from Columbia under the GI Bill, and worked at Davison Chemical Company, making catalysts. He later worked as a civilian Electronics Engineer for the Department of the Navy for 30 years, lastly in Naval Sea Systems Command. After retiring from the Navy, he went on to work for Vitro Laboratories and EG&G in the Maryland suburbs.

Frank met his future wife Audrey Mines at a Catholic Church singles' social in Washington DC. They married at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, DC, on May 28, 1955, and raised their family in Montgomery County, MD. They were founding members of St. Elizabeth and St. Rafael Catholic churches in Rockville, later becoming members of Our Lady of Mercy in Potomac, and finally becoming members of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Bethesda, Maryland.

In his younger years, he was an avid bowler, photographer, woodworker, and loved to dance. Frank loved being with family, caring for his wife, investing in real estate and the stock market, and dreaming of going on cruise vacations. He leaves a wonderful legacy and will be sorely missed.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, March  8th, 2025, at 11am at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, Bethesda, Maryland. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, https://bartbethesda.flocknote.com/give; or to Catholic Charities DC, https://www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/