Harry B. Martin

Harry B. Martin, 96, died at peace on April 8, 2026. He was surrounded by his beloved wife of 51 years, Melanie Cowan Martin, and his cherished and devoted sons James Whitney Martin and Harry Pemberton Martin. He was the very proud grandfather of William MacKenzie Martin and Clara Anita Martin. Harry was born to Anita Prato Martin and Jack Babushkin Martin in Manhattan on April 20, 1929, and grew up in New York City. He left to get his B.S. degree in Textile Engineering from University of Massachusetts Dartmouth/Fall River,  returning after graduation to New York City to work in the textile industry for 38 years, along the way earning many awards in the business, including from the government of India for being the largest world-wide importer of Indian textiles, notably hand-loomed madras, in 1983-4. He met his future wife Melanie in New York in 1972 and they subsequently moved to Philadelphia in 1977 for Melanie to continue her medical education. Throughout her long training he never failed to be optimistic, patient, and thoroughly supportive.  He commuted to New York daily for 11 years, making many good friends on the Amtrak trip. In 1982 he was recruited by Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, now Philadelphia University, to join their faculty, where he remained for 4 years before returning to industry in New York. In 1988 his wife entreated him to take on the administration of her growing medical practice in Wyndmoor. At the age of 59 he capably and cheerfully took on this totally new field of medical practice administration with his typical positivity, high energy, and quick, adaptive mind, and he continued until his wife retired in 2010. During those years he was a devoted and highly-involved father to his two sons, especially in their mutual love of the sport of ice hockey. Both sons played hockey as boys at Wissahickon Skating Rink and Chestnut Hill Academy, and this required him to get up very early on countless weekend mornings to drive them to away games where their start time on the ice would be necessarily quite early. He was always willing and would say it was much easier and much more fun than the New York commute. Harry loved music, opera and Billie Holiday in particular. He was a fearless and excellent horseman and skier, never having done either until he was an adult. After retiring at the age of 82, he and Melanie enjoyed 10 years of extensive travel which gave him great pleasure and fulfillment. Harry was ever optimistic about life. He was extraordinarily kind and tolerant, which probably accounts for why people,  from business to academia to friends and neighbors, repeatedly described him throughout his life as a true gentleman. His sense of humor was stellar and ever-ready, and even when his memory would fail him in his last years, he could often delight others by coming out with the most hilarious and pithy remark to describe his feelings and observations.  He will be so very sorely missed by his family and friends, who feel incredibly lucky to have had him in their lives.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in his name to Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org

The burial will be private.