HARVEY MARTIN, M.D.

Dr. Harvey “Doc” Martin passed away on Friday, January 31st, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was 83 years old and was a beloved Father, Grandfather, and Husband. 

Harvey was complex, colorful, complicated and many things to many different people. He was equal parts Humorist, Foodie, Flight Surgeon, Rodeo Cowboy, Mentor, and Psychiatrist.

He is remembered for his zest for life, willingness to help others, his kindness, generosity, humor, wit, and his fascination with human beings and their struggle for meaning, happiness, and peace in the lives they lived. He possessed an amazing ability to lead people to a better understanding of themselves. 

Harvey was born in Kansas City, Kansas. He was the oldest of four, having a sister and two brothers. He grew up in Salina, Kansas where he always seemed at home. His Father was a Physician and his paragon. His Mother was pragmatic, a disciplinarian, and given his Father’s busy obstetrics practice, was the “Conductor” of the family. His parents instilled in him work ethic, humility, acceptance, grace, and “The Golden Rule.” 

Harvey attended Kansas University as an English Major and honed his Social Skills at the FIJI House where he was President. While at KU, he met his wife, Sherry Zilner on a “set up.” He would quip, “I loved her far more fiercely than she ever loved me.” Nothing was further from the truth. She truly “got him” and loved him unconditionally, his good bits and his bad bits the same. She was his Kansas Relays Queen, life-long companion, lover, and financial advisor for over 60 years.

Harvey graduated from the University of Kansas Medical School in 1967 and joined the Airforce as part of the “Doctor Draft”. After his internship at Grant USAF Medical Center in California, he was stationed at RAF Bentwaters, England, where he was part of the 78th Tactical fighter squadron “The Bushmasters”. While in England, he was USAF Flight Surgeon of the Year. He frequented the Officer’s Club along with the F4 Fighter Pilots and where “Scotch Rockets” were served with potency and volume. Born out of the amalgamation of flying, the mission, and medicine was his often-uttered phrase, “Keep ‘em Flying!” He returned stateside in 1973 to Boling AFB in Washington, D.C. where he lived with his family and worked on “General’s Row” and served as Base Dispensary Commander. 

Harvey’s natural abilities as a listener and interest in the mind, drew him to Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. In 1974, he took sabbatical from the Air Force and enrolled in Adult Psychiatry Residency at the nationally recognized Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. His Child Psychiatry Residency followed at Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute at UC, San Francisco. 

Harvey’s Military Service brought him to Texas and Sheppard Airforce Base in Wichita Falls, where he was Chief of Mental Health Service and retired with rank of Colonel after 20 yrs. In 1982, he opened what is now The Rose Street Mental Health Clinic. At Rose Street, he served as CEO and Medical Director for almost 40 years and fulfilled his vision of creating a premier psychiatric program for the North Texas Region. During his time at Rose Street, he championed a Child and Adolescent Day Program and developed one of the regions only Applied Behavior Analysis Programs for Autism, Rose Street Spectrum. He is recognized as a pioneer for the training, education, and support of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners. While he was always a physician first, His desire to build, collaborate, and create a multi-disciplinary team of expertise in psychiatric medicine made him a reluctant CEO. His co-workers, colleagues, and staff were not that, but rather Family to him. He will be remembered as a collaborator, mentor, teacher, counselor, advisor, and father figure to many. His legacy will live on through them.

We all go through life at a different speed. Harvey’s was full throttle. In everything: work, play, eating, and especially driving. He would say, “In traffic and in medicine, you do what you gotta do to keep things moving.” His appetite for Life and Ice Cream were the same: Large. 

His sense of Humor and uncanny wit was legendary and would surface even in the most dire and serious occasions. It was irreverent and sophisticated. He laughed at himself with ease and frequency. His self-deprecating humor at times conveyed humility and approachability. 

Like all of us, Life at times gave him trouble. He had his own trials and tribulations, challenges, and obstacles. Through Humility, God’s Grace, and “The Serenity Prayer” he conquered his demons and kept moving forward. He was not particularly religious but intensely Spiritual. He lived by two books: The Big Book and The Holy Bible. His ubiquitous “ONWARD!” call, conveyed the recognition that although we are all broken and fallible, the best we can do is to face our challenges head on, right our wrongs, forgive ourselves and others as God forgives us, and move forward in our lives and try to improve; JUST KEEP GOING.

Harvey loved the Wall Street Journal and would read Sports Illustrated from cover to cover. His life revolved intensely around his beloved Jayhawks and KU Basketball. He flew the KU flag in homage to his team regularly on Saturdays. He admired John Wooden and the writings of Larry McMurtry and the humorist, Dan Jenkins. He was a snappy dresser and wore colorful socks, button downs, and preppy ties. He always wore his Swatch Watch, which conveyed a casual accessibility. 

Part of his enduring persona was that of a Cowboy. The real deal, not the Drug-Store kind: Hauling horses in a trailer, cutting, riding bare-backs, bull riding, and steer wrestling. He won the Little Britches rodeo in three events and has the buckle to prove it. No doubt he has already reunited with his champion horse “Midnight” in the Great Arena in the Sky. His rodeo lingo became metaphors throughout his life, “Open the Gate,” “Don’t forget to spur out of the chute,” “Stay the full count,” and always, always “Ride with a loose rein.” 

Harvey was no athlete but loved to compete. Wearing his omnipresent “Freud” T-Shirt he competed in the White Rock Dallas Marathon, The Cowtown, and most years in the “Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred’ finishing just as the finish line was being taking down. He was an avid participant in his hometown of Salina’s River Festival 5-mile race well beyond a time when his running stride had left him. 

Harvey knew better than to pick up a hammer, wrench, or saw. He never owned a toolbox. He could not build or fix things with his hands, but his mind, intellect, and insight were able to mend the most broken spirits. 

“Live All of Your Life” was always his closing advice. And He Did. Even until the end, he was still preparing to Live. In his words, “Death Like Birth is one of God’s Miracles.” As we all will one day, Harvey, Dad, “Doc,” died into Life and passed to the Eternal. His Spirit and Persona are with us always and in All of the Lives he touched. ONWARD!

Harvey is survived by his wife, Sherry, his two children, Holly Martin, and Dr Justin Martin and wife, Jenni. He is “Doc” to three grandchildren, Katherine, Will, and Christopher. 

Services will be held Saturday February 15, 2025, at 10:00 AM at First Christian Church in Wichita Falls. Reception and Celebration of Life will immediately follow at 11:00 AM at The Forum (Arts Council Wichita Falls) 2120 Speedway Avenue, 76308. 

In Lieu of Flowers, the Martin Family requests that donations be made in Harvey’s memory to Wichita Falls Faith Mission: Faith Refuge. 710 E Hatton, Rd, Wichita Falls, TX 76302.