Family, friends and fellow police officers’ worst fears became reality late Tuesday night as officials confirmed that Wayne Martin, veteran Norman police officer, and his wife, Susan, were killed in Sunday morning’s tragic bridge incident.
The couple’s funeral will be 2 p.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church of Norman, located at 211 W. Comanche. The funeral, under direction of Havenbrook Funeral Home in Norman, will be followed by a private graveside service for family only.
Loved ones hoped that the Martins had come across the bridge and started to help and lost track of time, but the Martins’ truck, with the trapped bodies inside, was pulled from the flowing waters Monday. The actual identity of the bodies was not confirmed until late Tuesday night.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Matamoras Orphan’s Fund through the First Baptist Church of Norman.
A Web site, www.geocites.com/themartinsnorman/, has been set up for those wishing to express their feelings about the Martins.
Scott Martin, assistant to Norman City Manager, said all flags on city property will be lowered to half-staff beginning Wednesday at 8 a.m. for seven days. Norman police officers are also wearing black bands around their badges.
Wayne Martin, 49, joined the Norman Police Department in 1975 as a patrol officer and was one of the first motorcycle patrol officers as well as being on the first Norman dive team. In May 1990, he was promoted to detective, working in the criminal investigation bureau. Martin’s expertise was dealing with abused children.
Lt. Glenn Dobry said Martin was a very competent investigator and an intregal part of the department.
“Wayne did a complete job. His specialty was child abuse cases, and most of the time, those children did not have to testify against their abusers because Wayne did such a complete investigation,” Dobry said.
Dobry said it is a tough time for the department.
“The entire department is quiet, and everyone is in a somber mood. Doing the job we do, there is always that realization that this is a dangerous job, but to die in an unrelated circumstance is just a twist of fate, a bizarre incident,” Dobry said. “One or two minutes either way, and this wouldn’t have happened.”
Wayne Martin always had a smile on his face, Dobry said.
“Wayne was good-natured. He was a public servant not only in his employment, but in the community as well,” Dobry said.
Wayne and Susan Martin were longtime members at First Baptist Church of Norman where Wayne served as a Deacon, and they both taught Sunday school classes.
Susan Martin, 49, served as an administrative assistant for 12 years at the church before she left to work for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Jim Stewart, minister of Family Life at First Baptist Church of Norman, described the Martins as workerbee Christians.
“Wayne and Susan were the kind of people who did whatever had to be done,” Stewart said.
Stewart said the couple would frequently go on mission trips with youth and most recently traveled to Matamoras, Mexico over Spring Break on a mission trip.
Susan Martin was involved in the church’s Cookie Ministry, which is a group that bakes cookies for those who are less fortunate and going through tough times.
Stewart said she was making cookies the day before she died. “If Susan Martin had a fault, it was that she could not say no,” Stewart said.
Wayne Martin was a tough cop when he had to be, but he had a soft side to him when it came to his family, Stewart said. Wayne Martin was an avid hunter and fisherman and played softball on the church’s team.
Stewart said Martin took young guys under his wing and taught them how to hunt and fish.
“I would describe Wayne and Susan as people who understood that every person is a minister in their own right,” Stewart said.
The Martins left Norman about 5:30 a.m. Sunday and were on their way to a family reunion in Clarksville, Ark. Family members’ efforts in Arkansas and Oklahoma were to no avail as they continually failed to reach the couple on their cell phone and pager.
