Jeffrey (J.D.) Martin

It has been said that to be Irish is to know, in the end, that the world will break your heart. The Martin family’s collective heart broke when their beloved son, brother, and uncle left this world on Friday, February 21, 2025. 

Jeffrey Douglas (J.D.) Martin, 43, of North Kingstown, leaves behind his parents, Beth and Jerry Martin of North Kingstown. He is survived by his sister Elizabeth Kenworthy (Tom), brother Peter Martin (Sarah), sister Kerry Martin (Jun Sugai), and brother Kevin Martin (Ronnie). Uncle J.D. will be greatly missed by his nieces and nephews: Tamsin, Jackson and Victoria Kenworthy; Graham and Harrison Martin; Jiro Sugai; and Melina and Cassidy Martin. He is survived by a great aunt, Sister Mary Shawn Kavanagh SSND, as well as two aunts, Pamela Rizzo and Kimberly Ward, and a cousin, Jeffrey Putnam. He was loved by his former partner, Lin Yan, and her children, Joylyn and Daniel.

He was predeceased by and welcomed into Heaven by his maternal grandparents, Jack and Sally Kavanagh, his paternal grandparents, Richard and Mary Martin, and his uncle, Brian Kavanagh. We know that J.D. and Grandpa Jack are already evaluating the Red Sox roster, talking strategy, and tossing a ball to his beloved border collie, Brody.

An alumnus of North Kingstown High School and the University of Maryland, he loved following and arguing politics, was an avid New England sports fan, and thought music peaked in the ‘80s. He had an irreverent sense of humor, to put it mildly, and enjoyed quoting lines from his favorite movies, such as The Big Lebowski, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. He did a mean Sean Connery impression. J.D. was considered an animal whisperer, attracting the love of pets wherever he went. He spent years living along both coasts and considered California a second home.

He had a gift with children. His happiest times came when he was coaching youth baseball, hitting grounders or throwing batting practice. He loved coaching his nieces and nephews in their baseball, football, and ping pong skills. They will remember him fondly for some epic family wiffle ball games. 

The Greek dramatist Aeschylus wrote, “God, whose law it is that he who learns, must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom…” In his suffering, J.D. remained a loyal, empathetic son, sibling, and friend, who was blessed with the ability of knowing the right thing to say to make things better. We will all remember J.D. and try to live our lives with his unrelenting quest for laughs and willingness to help the younger generations appreciate the finer points of sport and of life.  

His services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Pitch In for Baseball and Softball, providing underserved communities and those recovering from natural disasters with equipment for kids to play ball. https://pifbs.org/lp/donate-money/

Arrangements have been entrusted to THE CRANSTON-MURPHY FUNERAL HOME of WICKFORD.

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