Chris Martin, a Florida-based lighting manufacturers’ representative with Richard Alan & Associates (RA&A), passed away on February 4 in Tallahassee after a short illness. He was 47 years old.
Known to be adventurous, Chris held several unique careers before becoming a lighting representative, such as working as a certified scuba instructor and serving in law enforcement in New Orleans as both a Narcotics and a Homicide detective. He left New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and entered the lighting industry, working for Seagull Lighting, Generation Brands, and Kichler Lighting before opening his own company Canopy Roads Sales LLC and later joining Richard Alan & Associates.
Chris was a graduate of Florida State University and a member of the Bunnell Masonic Lodge 200 and the Knights Templar. He loved scuba diving, fly fishing, and shooting skeet with friends. He loved to drive the rugged mountain trails of Colorado in his Jeep as well as on his motorcycle. Most of all, he loved spending time with his Australian Shepherd fur babies. He is survived by his parents, Bill and Diane Martin; his uncle John Marsula; and his cousins Rachael Mozier, Alex Marsula, and Christy Martin.
Once competitors in the field before they joined forces, Richard Alan considers Chris to have been a close friend. “I thought of him as tough competition,” Richard recalls. “He was very worldly and a very interesting guy who could talk about almost anything. He was down to earth and very likeable. I loved his genuineness. Our customers found him to be dependable and a great rep.”
Remembers RA&A colleague Lauren Galindo, “He had a larger-than-life personality with stories for days — all signs of a life well-lived. We will miss his quick wit and his unending patience for questions, as so many of us learned the ropes under his guidance. Our team is obviously heartbroken and shocked, but we have a great deal of peace and hope knowing that he is at rest.”
