The big man with a big heart
October 25, 2019
My memories of Martin: Kind, generous, warm, genuine.
Martin has been one of my dad Chris’ best friends since the '80s when I was young. As kids, my brother and I always looked forward to visits from Martin - he was a giant, he was kind and fun, he’d let us clamber over him, desperate to sit on his tall shoulders and he always had time to play! Somewhere in my parents’ attic is my 1980s Fisher Price recorder and tapes of Martin being relentlessly ‘interviewed’ by us. One Christmas he gave us some brilliant, inflatable, wearable monster-feet that sealed his place as totally awesome.
Dad and Martin worked closely together through the 80s and 90s at Xerox then Dell and in the days before mobile phones when Martin would call the house to speak to dad, my brother and I always wanted to pick up the phone to speak to Martin because he made us laugh and made time to listen to our inane chat. I would pore over the photos of high jinx and fancy dress costumes when mum & dad returned from their many Xerox trips to exotic locations with Martin (favourite albums included pictures of 3-legged races on the beach and some excellent white tuxedos with sunburned faces on their trips to Kenya or Trinidad & Tobago!)
Not long after the Slagters moved to America I started university in the Twickenham/Richmond area where Martin grew up and where I still live now and I also joined the university rugby team, playing in the front row. I was so excited for Dad to let Martin know I’d taken up the egg-shaped ball in the home of rugby and on his home turf!
Though I saw less of Martin after he moved abroad we’d grab a quick chat on the phone when he’d call dad. There was also the annual golf trip to Ireland every spring for dad, Martin and their friends stretching over a few decades and whenever I’d call them in the bar on those trips Martin had time to take the phone to say hello while they were enjoying drinks at the 19th hole. Poor Martin even had the phone passed around on my 40th birthday this year but would dutifully speak to everyone! Martin always had time for people and you’d always put the phone down feeling brighter for speaking with him.
Then when I visited Austin 7 years ago for SXSW festival Martin and Tina helped to make my trip truly special. They extended amazing hospitality, having me to stay in their beautiful home, taking me for dinner and to an amazing live music venue for an evening I’ll never forget, lending me their pick-up truck (which the cops pulled me over in just a few streets from their home because I was driving so nervously like a true tourist!) Martin even met me at an Irish bar to watch the England/Ireland rugby game on St Patrick’s day and, being a true gentleman, he didn’t rub it in when England annihilated Ireland!
Months later after I went through an upsetting breakup Martin was kind enough to email thoughtful words of wisdom. His generosity in every sense of the word was huge. Truly a gentle giant: someone you could have a laugh with and watch the rugby over a beer, but who also had great empathy and sensitivity and could speak from the heart. He was kind, generous, warm and genuine.
I got married a few months ago and will treasure the beautiful card from Martin and Tina, his generous and touching support for our battle with the Home Office and his e-mail with words of encouragement and “positive vibes being sent over the pond". I know in his last chat with Dad a few weeks ago, just as he was leaving England to fly back to Austin, he expressed his exasperation with Britain’s Home Office and asked Dad to keep him posted on mine and my husband’s appeal a few weeks later, hoping they would do the right thing. A week after Martin passed away we won our legal battle with the Home Office. We did it Martin!!!
Martin really is one of a kind. I joined the live stream to celebrate Martin last Friday and it was beautiful, a real celebration. Adam, Luke, Tina and Chris all spoke so beautifully. What a wonderful tribute. I raised a drink to him here in Twickenham. Our family, the Farrells, have a lot of love for Martin and clearly so do many, many people. What a man. What a legend.
Sending so much love to all his family. You’ve been in my thoughts a lot xxx
Martin has been one of my dad Chris’ best friends since the '80s when I was young. As kids, my brother and I always looked forward to visits from Martin - he was a giant, he was kind and fun, he’d let us clamber over him, desperate to sit on his tall shoulders and he always had time to play! Somewhere in my parents’ attic is my 1980s Fisher Price recorder and tapes of Martin being relentlessly ‘interviewed’ by us. One Christmas he gave us some brilliant, inflatable, wearable monster-feet that sealed his place as totally awesome.
Dad and Martin worked closely together through the 80s and 90s at Xerox then Dell and in the days before mobile phones when Martin would call the house to speak to dad, my brother and I always wanted to pick up the phone to speak to Martin because he made us laugh and made time to listen to our inane chat. I would pore over the photos of high jinx and fancy dress costumes when mum & dad returned from their many Xerox trips to exotic locations with Martin (favourite albums included pictures of 3-legged races on the beach and some excellent white tuxedos with sunburned faces on their trips to Kenya or Trinidad & Tobago!)
Not long after the Slagters moved to America I started university in the Twickenham/Richmond area where Martin grew up and where I still live now and I also joined the university rugby team, playing in the front row. I was so excited for Dad to let Martin know I’d taken up the egg-shaped ball in the home of rugby and on his home turf!
Though I saw less of Martin after he moved abroad we’d grab a quick chat on the phone when he’d call dad. There was also the annual golf trip to Ireland every spring for dad, Martin and their friends stretching over a few decades and whenever I’d call them in the bar on those trips Martin had time to take the phone to say hello while they were enjoying drinks at the 19th hole. Poor Martin even had the phone passed around on my 40th birthday this year but would dutifully speak to everyone! Martin always had time for people and you’d always put the phone down feeling brighter for speaking with him.
Then when I visited Austin 7 years ago for SXSW festival Martin and Tina helped to make my trip truly special. They extended amazing hospitality, having me to stay in their beautiful home, taking me for dinner and to an amazing live music venue for an evening I’ll never forget, lending me their pick-up truck (which the cops pulled me over in just a few streets from their home because I was driving so nervously like a true tourist!) Martin even met me at an Irish bar to watch the England/Ireland rugby game on St Patrick’s day and, being a true gentleman, he didn’t rub it in when England annihilated Ireland!
Months later after I went through an upsetting breakup Martin was kind enough to email thoughtful words of wisdom. His generosity in every sense of the word was huge. Truly a gentle giant: someone you could have a laugh with and watch the rugby over a beer, but who also had great empathy and sensitivity and could speak from the heart. He was kind, generous, warm and genuine.
I got married a few months ago and will treasure the beautiful card from Martin and Tina, his generous and touching support for our battle with the Home Office and his e-mail with words of encouragement and “positive vibes being sent over the pond". I know in his last chat with Dad a few weeks ago, just as he was leaving England to fly back to Austin, he expressed his exasperation with Britain’s Home Office and asked Dad to keep him posted on mine and my husband’s appeal a few weeks later, hoping they would do the right thing. A week after Martin passed away we won our legal battle with the Home Office. We did it Martin!!!
Martin really is one of a kind. I joined the live stream to celebrate Martin last Friday and it was beautiful, a real celebration. Adam, Luke, Tina and Chris all spoke so beautifully. What a wonderful tribute. I raised a drink to him here in Twickenham. Our family, the Farrells, have a lot of love for Martin and clearly so do many, many people. What a man. What a legend.
Sending so much love to all his family. You’ve been in my thoughts a lot xxx