Tommie Rae Martin
<p>Born the eldest of four to Raymond and Patricia (Haught) Cline, Tommie spent virtually her entire life placing the welfare of others before her own. Tommie graduated from Payson High School in 1968. She attended Northern Arizona University, but paused her college education to gain some life experience which included working on ranches in Wickenburg, AZ and Wyoming, working for the Payson Roundup, managing the Tonto Natural Bridge and attending trade school, earning a barber’s license. Tommie graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University in 1978, with a degree from the Agriculture Division of the Engineering College. In addition to her formal education, she was a lifelong learner who pursued her varied interests with a passion.</p> <p>While in barber school, Tommie met and fell deeply in love with Ronnie Martin, a Buckeye, AZ farmer and ironworker. Tommie and Ronnie were married on August 12,1972 at the Tonto Natural Bridge. They lived, worked and traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe.</p> <p>Tommie had several careers. She owned and operated the Payson Barber Shop in the early 1970’s. Tommie served as Executive Secretary for the Arizona Cattle Grower’s Association, worked as an associate for the Savory Institute in Albuquerque, NM, and owned a natural resource consulting business working throughout western North America, Mexico and Africa. Tommie was nationally recognized as a facilitator of resource management groups in which the guiding principle was that a decision must be a recognizable ‘win’ for everyone involved or it couldn’t be followed. This guideline can be seen in most decisions Tommie made and/or promoted throughout her life. Tommie was elected as Gila County Supervisor in 2004, taking office in January 2005. This past August, she won her fifth term.</p> <p>Preceded in death by her parents, Tommie is survived by her husband of 48 years, Ronnie Martin, sister Jerrie (Tony) Tipton, brother Jon (Elizabeth Loney) Cline, sister Jacque (Steve) Sanders, more than a dozen nieces, nephews, and great nieces, a large extended family of cousins and many, many friends.</p> <p>Services are pending. The family is planning for a virtual memorial service later in January, along with an in-person celebration of life later in 2021.</p>Obituary
Born the eldest of four to Raymond and Patricia (Haught) Cline, Tommie spent virtually her entire life placing the welfare of others before her own. Tommie graduated from Payson High School in 1968. She attended Northern Arizona University, but paused her college education to gain some life experience which included working on ranches in Wickenburg, AZ and Wyoming, working for the Payson Roundup, managing the Tonto Natural Bridge and attending trade school, earning a barber’s license. Tommie graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University in 1978, with a degree from the Agriculture Division of the Engineering College. In addition to her formal education, she was a lifelong learner who pursued her varied interests with a passion.
While in barber school, Tommie met and fell deeply in love with Ronnie Martin, a Buckeye, AZ farmer and ironworker. Tommie and Ronnie were married on August 12,1972 at the Tonto Natural Bridge. They lived, worked and traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe.
Tommie had several careers. She owned and operated the Payson Barber Shop in the early 1970’s. Tommie served as Executive Secretary for the Arizona Cattle Grower’s Association, worked as an associate for the Savory Institute in Albuquerque, NM, and owned a natural resource consulting business working throughout western North America, Mexico and Africa. Tommie was nationally recognized as a facilitator of resource management groups in which the guiding principle was that a decision must be a recognizable ‘win’ for everyone involved or it couldn’t be followed. This guideline can be seen in most decisions Tommie made and/or promoted throughout her life. Tommie was elected as Gila County Supervisor in 2004, taking office in January 2005. This past August, she won her fifth term.
Preceded in death by her parents, Tommie is survived by her husband of 48 years, Ronnie Martin, sister Jerrie (Tony) Tipton, brother Jon (Elizabeth Loney) Cline, sister Jacque (Steve) Sanders, more than a dozen nieces, nephews, and great nieces, a large extended family of cousins and many, many friends.
Services are pending. The family is planning for a virtual memorial service later in January, along with an in-person celebration of life later in 2021.
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