Martin William Feller, 73, passed away May 15, 2021 at Cleveland Clinic – Hillcrest Hospital.
Marty was born on September 13, 1947 in Waukegan, Illinois to the late Robert and Virginia (Winther) Feller. He was raised in Gates Mills, Ohio and benefitted from having his parents as well as beloved maternal grandparents Martin and Marcella Winther all living together in the large and busy household during his earliest years.
Marty went to Hawken School from grades 1 through 12, and went on to attend Brown University in Rhode Island, where he was on the Dean’s list as well as the varsity baseball team.
Marty was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his bothers Steve and Bruce (Lydia) Feller and nephew Daniel (Keziah Weir) Feller, his beloved Aunt Marguerite and cousins Gail (Charles), Terry (Charles), and Kevin (Sue) on his father’s side, and cousins Eleda, Bob (Dinah), Patricia (Lee) and Barbara (Keith) on his mother’s side, his beloved friend Randy (Deena) Baenen as well as many other friends.
He was an unusually kind, gentle and deeply spiritual person, and all who knew him loved him. Despite becoming afflicted with a debilitating medical condition starting in early adulthood, Marty was a remarkable inspiration to all in continuing to maintain a positive and accepting attitude about his unwelcome condition throughout his adult life, impacting all who knew him and making a difference in people’s lives. Marty was always exceptionally thankful and indeed humbled by the compassion and great care afforded him by all his nurses, aides, and doctors over many years,
Marty was a prolific letter writer, and would also send out hundreds of holiday cards to friends and family all throughout the year, most with handwritten notes inside.
During his youth, he spent much time each summer at the family lake homes in northern Wisconsin, and he particularly loved fishing.
As a very young boy in the early 1950’s he would travel with his parents and brother Steve by train to Tucson, Arizona, spending many weeks with them at the Cleveland Indians spring training camp, where his father was on the pitching staff. He was fortunate to be able to continue his schooling either there during those weeks, or else with his paternal grandmother in Van Meter, Iowa.
Over the years, Marty continued to amaze family and friends with his remarkable near-photographic memory of exact dates and details for virtually all past family events, trips, vacations, relatives and friends – even minor details about the many family dogs to whom he was especially fond of and devoted to. His recall as an avid sports fan and high school and college athlete, also applied to long-forgotten details about games, scores, players, and win-loss records of the Cleveland Indians and Browns.
Memorial and burial services will be private. Interment will be in Green Ridge Cemetery, Kenosha, Wisconsin in a family plot, next to his mother, maternal grandparents, and other close relatives.
Contributions in Marty’s name can be made to animal welfare societies such as the Humane Society, ASPCA, PETA or other charities of your choice.
