Daniel Joseph Martin was born in Huron, South Dakota on August 20, 1956. He loved his hometown and always talked fondly of his time there. He was the eighth of ten brothers and sisters. In his youth, he survived an accident that caused a brain injury that resulted in short-term memory loss. Even with this, he graduated from the South Dakota Rapid City College of Business. In the late eighties he came to Washington DC to work for the federal government, and later spent more than 20 years of his career as an auditor for the National Institutes of Health. His photo is in NIH as a 100 pint blood donor. In 1991, he married Diana M. Marinello, who he met while volunteering for the organization ‘So Others Might Eat.’ In 1993 they had a son, Alexander Gabriel, who was diagnosed with autism two years later. He was a believer of AA and had over 25 years of sobriety. He loved God and was seen every Sunday at St. Martin’s Church with his son. Dan taught Alex to follow a special morning routine which included feeding the birds, making breakfast and putting the dishes away. They often went for long car rides together to look for deer. He loved birds, especially cardinals and pheasants, the state bird of SD. He beat prostate cancer, and when diagnosed ten years later with bile duct cancer, turned to NIH for experimental treatment. His last wish was to donate his brain tissue to Autism BrainNet, which is working with NIH to find a cure for autism. He made friends wherever he went and always put his family first. His motto was “Life is Good.”

Thanks to the many family, friends, and co-workers who sustained us during this difficult time. We are eternally grateful and blessed by your generosity, love and support.