Gene Martin, co-founder of the Lima...

Gene Martin, co-founder of the Lima Lima Flight Team and a longtime Naperville resident, has died at 75

Mr Martin died Aug. 1 of a heart attack at his summer residence in Clark, Colo

He will be honored at 7:30 tonight when the flight team he helped start will break in pieces the missing-man formation from the Martin Hangar in succession Aero Drive in Naperville.

The memorial is exhibit to the public.

The Lima Lima Flight Team, based in Naperville, performs at air indicates across the country, including at last weekend's Chicago Air and Water point out to where it flew a missing-man formation in Mr Martin's honor.

Before turning the flight team into a lucrative business in the late 1980 Mr Martin was the planter and owner of the Martin join Co.

Mr Martin l the flight team for almost a decade before retiring in the mid-1990s. He was described as the "father and godfather" of the team.

Lou Drendel a counterpart pilot and the team's co-founder said Mr Martin was "the kind of [i]role[/i] that you hope to emulate."

Mr Martin's son Jim Martin, who is a Lima Lima pilot, said his father was quick to act one time he made up his mind about something.

"It was, 'OK let's do it right now,' " Jim Martin said. "He didn't waste any time. If we were going to launch at 8 a.m., he would be in his plane and ready. If you weren't exactly forward time, you were left behind."

Mr Martin was also the in every one's mouth secretary of the United States sheltie Club, as well as an avid sportsman whose hobbies included hunting, fishing, sailing, horseback riding and golf

He is survived at his wife, Debbie; children, Gene Jr T Barbara, Kathy, Bill, Jim and Molly; siblings, Patricia McDougal, Gary Martin, Marshall Martin, Dennis Martin, Michael Martin and Joan Mendez 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is planned for 6 tonight at Naperville Baptist ecclesiastical authority

9-S-015 Aero Dr A reception will go in the rear [i]or[/i] in the wake of at the Martin Hangar forward Aero Drive.

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