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Family, friends, remember slain real estate agent
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
From childhood, family and friends say slain real-estate agent Vivian Martin was a leader.
She was a take-charge kind of person from her days as a student at Madison Elementary School right up to the time she was murdered in 2010. She was 67.
About 20 of her friends and family gathered Saturday at St. Andrewes AME Church on West Earle Avenue, the church Martin attended, to reminisce about her as hearings for the suspects in her murder near.
“She was always a leader in school,” said former 3rd Ward councilman and board of education member Richard Atkinson, who knew Martin from childhood. “She was always ahead of the curve.”
Martin, 67, a cancer survivor and owner of Essence Realty, was found in a burning home in the 3600 block of Nelson Avenue on Sept. 20, 2010. Arrested in the crime a few days later were Robert Brooks, 29, and Grant Cooper, 25. They are charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery and could face the death penalty, if convicted.
They were indicted by a grand jury on Oct. 10, 2010. The case was assigned to Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, but has yet to come to trial.
Pretrial hearings are scheduled June 13 for Cooper, and June 17 for Brooks. According to online court records, no trial dates have been set.
Friends and family said Martin was a no-nonsense person who was not afraid to speak her mind, yet she balanced that with a gentle, helpful nature. George Mauzy, a member of her church, said Martin was passionate about youth, and spearheaded the effort to start several youth groups at the church.
“She believed the youth was the future and was always on their case to do better,” Mauzy said.
Mauzy said Martin also helped the church sell its old building on Rayen Avenue when they relocated to West Earle Avenue, and she did it without asking for a cent.
Rose Carter, who also knew Martin since childhood, said living with her back then was simple.
“She bossed us around,” Carter said with a laugh. Martin talked her out of retiring three years early by bluntly telling her she could last in her job for three more years, Carter said, adding that she’s glad she took Martin’s advice.
Truman Greene worked with Martin in the real-estate business. Martin was a stickler for details, he said.
“She wanted everything to be right all the time,” Greene said.
Former 1st Ward councilman Artis Gillam was also a close of friend of Martin’s since childhood and was executor of her estate. He said Martin was always trying to better herself. She had her own business and also had associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees and was planning to go back to college to get a doctorate.
Gillam said her death was as senseless as they come. She had already been robbed, he said, and there was no reason to kill her. He said he was as close to Martin as if she were a sister, and he thinks of her often.
“I miss her,” Gillam said. “I miss her very, very much.”