Eino “Lefty” Joseph Martino
Eino “Lefty” Joseph Martino, 97, Cornell, finished his life marathon at 1:15 a.m., Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. Eino passed away quietly at Dove Health Care Assisted Living in Bloomer, where he was a resident since Oct. 21.
Eino was born Sept. 17, 1925, in Hurley (Cary), to Katherine Julius and Eugeno Martino.
He met his wife, Delores Crowell, when he began teaching in Cornell. They were married April 23, 1960, and spent 35 years together, until Delores’ death in 1995.
Eino graduated from Hurley High School in 1944. He looked forward to the Hurley Hall of Fame weekend every July, where he could catch up with his “buddies.” Eino had many, many friends wherever he would go and called everyone his buddy. He was inducted into the Hurley Athletic Hall of Fame and Wisconsin State Track Association Hall of Fame.
He was drafted three weeks out of high school, and was a World War II Naval vet, who served our country from 1944-47, in the South Pacific on an LST (landing ship tank). After the war, in 1948, he attended Gogebic Junior College in Ironwood, Mich., on the GI Bill. He played football and basketball there.
After two years of education, in Ironwood, Mich., Eino moved to Fargo, N.D., and attended North Dakota State University to obtain his physical education degree.
Eino’s very first teaching job was at Shanley Catholic High School in Fargo, N.D., in 1951. He taught physical education and health, and was assistant football, basketball and head track coach. Eino had written his life’s journey in 2011, and in his journal, stated, “I had the pleasure of coaching an outstanding athlete at Shanley High, by the name of Roger Maris, who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record, with 61 home runs in 1961!”
He returned to Wisconsin in 1957, and taught and coached at Lena High School for one year. The year 1958, would begin a 32-year teaching and a 60-year coaching career, in Cornell. In the 32 years, Eino taught physical education, driver’s education and health.
He coached football, basketball, wrestling, baseball and track. He always said track was his favorite sport to coach, because in order to achieve success, it was up to each individual athlete. He taught the three D’s his entire coaching career: desire, dedication and determination.
As a track coach, Coach Martino produced 15 Cloverbelt Conference championships, 11 Sectional championships, 10 Regional championships and eight individual State champions.
Eino retired from teaching in 1990, but continued to coach
track for the next 28 years. In 2006, the track was dedicated and named The Veteran’s Memorial-Eino Martino Track Complex. Eino drove until the age of 95, always having a baton and stopwatch on-hand, in case a 4x4 relay would break out!
He enjoyed his winters for 22 years, in Ocala, Fla. There, you could find him playing bocce twice a week, along with a day for shuffle board and BINGO. Eino enjoyed all sports throughout his life, but he really enjoyed bean bags (corn hole). Family members would fight over getting to be his partner, because he was so good at it. He won many family tournaments, including one this past July!
You could always see Eino with a smile on his face. Even at the end-stage of life, he was happy and making those around him laugh, with his great sense of humor and little jokes. Eino taught us how to live!
He is survived by his four children – Lisa Martino and husband, Brian Sie, Lori Kindschy and husband, Fred, Rocco Martino, Mario Martino and fiancé, Laura Collins; Eino’s pride and joy were his 10 grandchildren, and he would rattle off all 10 names in order – Emily (Jerome) Miller, Nikki (Mark) Smith, Jayme (Justin) Hink, Taylor (Justin) Crooks, Jenna (Kent) Velie, Zachary (Nicole Davis) Martino, Morgan (Jonathan) Dachel, Dominick (Shioban) Martino, Dante (Kylie) Martino and Mirannda Martino; his 13 great-grandchildren also brought him tremendous joy – Lilly Drees and Jax Mussell, Barrett, Brecken and Kinsley Smith, Everhett, Crosby and Conley Crooks, Bryck and Blakely Velie, Hudson Hink, Emerson and Colt Martino; and numerous nieces and nephews, who meant the world to him.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife – Delores; siblings – Joe, Eugene and Jessie, and their spouses.
Visitation will be held Sunday, Dec. 4, from 3-7 p.m., at the Cornell High School gymnasium, with praying the Rosary at 7 p.m. Visitation will also be one hour prior to the funeral Mass, Monday morning, at the church.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Dec. 5, at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Cornell, with Father Eric Linzmaier officiating. Interment will be in the Cornell Cemetery, with full military honors conducted by the Cornell American Legion.
Blessed be his memory. Borton-Leiser Funeral Home in Cornell, is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred for a scholarship fund in memory of Eino Martino.
