Julia Watson Martin almost made it to 100, but died Monday, August 8, 2022, after suffering a heart attack two days earlier. Mrs. Martin was born on October 16, 1922, and her family will still celebrate that anniversary to honor her memory and a life well lived. She was a member of Smithwood Baptist Church for nearly 70 years.
She and husband Hugh B. Martin Jr. raised four children. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a captain in the Corps of Army Engineers. He also served in Japan during the Korean conflict. When Julia and Hugh settled in Fountain City in 1953, he worked in building materials and later was an independent contractor.
Julia was born and raised in Atlanta and received her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from High Museum School of Art. She resumed her career as a commercial artist with Miller’s Department Store and later Proffitt’s. In those days, newspaper ads were original art, not photography. She continued to work well into her seventies.
She incorporated art into her “chalk talks” for youth groups in which she would illustrate a scene from the Bible in a matter of minutes, much to the amazement of those watching.
The family will receive visitors at 2 p.m., Saturday, August 13, at Stevens Mortuary, 1304 Oglewood Ave., with services to follow at 3. Memorial donations may be made to the Hugh B. and Julia W. Martin Memorial Scholarship Fund at East Tennessee Foundation, 520 W. Summit Hill Dr., Suite 1101, Knoxville, TN 37902. The full obituary is here.