March 15, 1941 – May 10, 2026

Dennis Peter Martin, 85, of Chesterfield, Missouri, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 10, 2026, in St. Louis, with his beloved wife Joanne by his side.

Born March 15, 1941, in St. Louis, Dennis was the son of the late Peter and Marian Martin. He grew up in the city he loved, graduated from Beaumont High School, and served his country in the Army National Guard. Proudly Albanian, he carried his heritage with him throughout his life and leaves behind many Albanian cousins who were family in every way that mattered.

Dennis married the love of his life, Joanne, in October 1983, beginning 42 years of devotion, laughter, and partnership.

His working life was as colorful as he was. As a young man, he was a lifeguard at the historic Fairgrounds Park swimming pool built for the 1904 World’s Fair. He took over his father’s business, Pete’s “Hole In The Wall,” and over the years owned a coffee shop at the St. Louis County Hospital and a Dairy Queen before joining Prairie Farms, where he worked for more than two decades until his retirement. Never one to truly slow down, he went on to work at Bellerive Country Club in his retirement years.

Dennis lived fully and loved generously. He was happiest with a fishing rod in hand, at Black River Lodge, on the golf course, on the tennis court, or carving down a ski slope (with the occasional yard sale left behind). He loved to travel, to cook and grill for the people he loved, and to gather everyone around a card table — where, by family accounting, he still owes a couple of his children and his wife money. A chronic recycler of jokes and a born storyteller, he could turn an ordinary afternoon into something his family would remember for years.

He is survived by his wife, Joanne Martin; his children, Scott Martin (Kim Martin), Craig Martin (Elizabeth Martin), and Jennifer Martin (Ryan Belmore); his grandchildren, Amanda Ruff (Jon Ruff) and Caroline Federico (Donnie Federico), children of Scott and Kim; Joshua Martin (Char Martin) and Kaitlyn Johnson (Fred Johnson), children of Craig and Elizabeth; and his great-grandchildren, Sawyer and Harrison Ruff. He was preceded in death by his parents, Peter and Marian Martin, and his sister, Katherine Swanson.

Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Backstoppers. 

However you remember him — over cards, around the grill, on the golf course, or with a story you’ve heard a hundred times — raise a glass. Gëzuar, Dennis.