Martin Grossman-Book of Life Campaign

We celebrate the life of our Uncle, and seek to honor his memory with this fundraiser.

Martin lived a long and full life in the company of family, friends, and business associates; but did not have his affairs in order upon his death. A heart attack took him in the night, just like his mother, of blessed memory, who suffered a fatal stroke in her sleep.

Martin left behind two daughters, Sarah and Jessica, and a young adult grandson, Ian, all of whom are disabled with serious neuro-immune disorders. Unfortunately, Martin had no end-of-life arrangements or insurance in place, no assets of any value, and left considerable debt. Such a financial burden is an immense hardship for his children and grandson.

We, his nieces (Gayle and Marci), his great niece (Brandi) and great nephew (Ryan), hope to bring comfort and ease to his surviving family with the financial support this fundraiser will provide. An outpouring of love and support at this difficult time would bring some much-needed respite and healing to his loved ones.

Our Uncle Marty was an intellectual and creative man, often affectionately referred to as “The Professor” by friends and business associates. He earned an MFA in creative writing from the University of Oregon and went on to teach creative writing and literature at Western Michigan University. His students appreciated his creative approach to teaching; he often used the music and lyrics of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen in his classes to encourage them to push the boundaries of poetry.

After University teaching, he partnered with another colleague to start “Words, etc”, a marketing and communications company. Writing professionally became the work he would do for the rest of his life.

During his long career, Martin produced award-winning TV and radio spots and ghost wrote several business books and memoirs, including: Getting it Right the First Time (Greenwood Press, 2005) and The 100- pound Gangster (Signal8Press, 2017). His many accomplishments in business and the arts have been widely recognized with several awards and grants, which include, The Ohio State Award for Excellence in Educational, Informational and Public Affairs Broadcasting (a National honor), an American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters grant, a P.E.N. grant, and several Michigan Council for the Arts writing and video awards.

Martin’s daughters and grandson would like to write the final pages of his life story to say that his family was well provided for and did not suffer undue financial hardship with his passing. You can be a part of this unfolding story with a contribution -your personal tribute in Martin Grossman’s “Book of Life”.

From all of us, we thank you ❤️