Martyn's Eulogy
1980 Martyn Glynn Matthews was born on Saturday 2nd August 1980 in Treliske hospital. He was a beloved husband and solemate to Emma, Dad to three adopted greyhounds Duke, Brew and Hex, son of Tony and Linda, half brother / sister to Antony, Darren and Jacqui.
Marty started out his life living next door to his dearly beloved granny and grampy at Enniscaven. At the age of 4, Marty’s mum and dad built their own bungalow in Summercourt and he attended Summercourt County Primary School. It was here that he met some of his lifelong friends. Some particular memories of Marty from his friends were that he was very into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which was on his favourite jumper that he used to wear.
1985 Marty enjoyed playing football for Summercourt Football Team. He formed a formidable central defensive partnership with his friend Simon. Their style resembled ballerinas, spinning around with one leg in the air at speed but rarely connecting with the ball! Marty always enjoyed playtime games including football and tag. Marty’s favourite game however was bumper cars; this involved folding your arms and then running into your mates. Marty loved this game so much that at the end of the day he would bumper car into unsuspecting parents.
1991 Marty and his friends moved on to Newquay Treviglas School, where his love of practical jokes continued, usually on the bus journeys into school. One particular incident involved another boy being tricked into thinking that it was a non-uniform day – he was the only student to turn up wearing casual clothes much to Marty's amusement. Lunch time usually involved playing basketball and Marty with his strong physical attributes was also a keen rugby player.
Secondary School After leaving school Marty and his friends discovered pubs and clubs, many of their nights out could only be described as legendary. Marty would ensure his friends made it home safely and always seemed to be the one in control when they were worse for wear. His favourite evenings out were in Newquay at The Red Lion pub, because of his love for live music.
Growing up, Marty would enjoy his days being active outdoors with his family and took a real interest in engineering. He learnt from his dad, with a spanner in hand helping on various projects and having fun on the motor bikes where he learnt to ride from the age of two. Marty’s older brother Darren was the Cornish Grasstrack Champion for several years, which is something Marty was extremely proud of.
Grass track There were many weekends and holidays that were spent with his family enjoying grasstrack and speedway events. Marty followed in his brothers footsteps and rode for Cornwall Grasstrack Intercentre Team. He took real pride in his bikes and spent hours polishing them with his dad. Summers and weekends were also spent pursuing his love of engineering; he would attend work with his Dad and enjoy spending time with his friend Roger, where they used to take things apart and then attempt to fix them again.
Apprenticeship and first job Marty followed his passion and went on to complete an apprenticeship at Micky Sinnotts. It has been said that he was the hardest worker and best fitter you would ever have the privilege to work with or employ. This is a true testament to his mum and dad, who supported him every step of the way. The great work ethic they instilled into him proved instrumental in his life and they were always there to offer guidance and support. Marty was employed by Lobb Brothers alongside his dad in repairing heavy plant machinery. From there he moved on and gained a strong reputation working with Bell Equipment, Vincent Tractors, Hydrex and Denbow International.
The Royal Cornwall Show Each year Marty would make sure he took a day off to take his Grampy to the Royal Cornwall show in which he treated him to day filled with lively banter, laughter and good food. One of their rituals was to find the Cornish wrestling tent to view his granddads wrestling belt, Marty was very proud of his Grampy as he was Cornish Champion for many years.
2001 At the young age of 21, Marty bought his first house at Fraddon which was a huge project that required complete renovation. His Granddad and dad helped him to renovate it, along with a bit of help from his friends. As always his mum was at the ready with her paintbrush in hand!
2004 During 2004, Marty was often acting as a roadie for his friend JD in London. On one of these nights he was setting up for a gig at the Borderline venue. It was here that through JD´s mutual friend, Ruth, that he met his soul mate and best friend Emma. They instantly became inseparable and for the first year of their relationship they both travelled long distances to see each other at weekends.
2005 By 2005, Marty and Emma moved into their first house together in Treviscoe. Having a dog had always been one of Emma’s dreams and knowing how much it meant to her he made it happen. Marty and Emma adopted their first dog, Duke, a greyhound who had been badly neglected and needed a loving new home. Emma´s other dream was to own a Classic Fiat 500, which they managed to find on ebay and customise to their taste; this classic car is still a treasured member of the family. If she was happy, he was even happier and content in making sure she was looked after.
2008 Marty and Emma bought their own house together in Sticker, St. Austell, where they moved in with their two newly adopted greyhounds Brew and Hex. Over the years that they spent at Sticker they enjoyed making improvements to their home and digging up the jungle of a garden.
Marty wasn’t one to go off on lavish holidays but he did love to meet up with friends; he was a regular visitor to Germany and Spain where his close friends were living. A holiday wasn't a holiday unless it involved spending time with his closest friends and family. His trip to Paris with his sister Jacqui and brother in law Romi were some of his fondest memories, along with the trip to Disney Land Paris, which his mum had organised to treat all the family.
2011 Marty’s whole life got turned upside down and he faced his biggest challenge when he became ill at the young age of 31. From the very start of his illness, he remained upbeat and positive, he never once complained, he was always more concerned about how his diagnosis was effecting his friends and family. Over the last three years Marty kept his loved ones busy, so that they didn't have time to think about what he was going through, he was selfless to the core, always putting everyone's feelings before his own.
For a long time Marty´s friends believed that they had found a way to wind him up by constantly pressuring him to set a date to marry Emma. However, Marty had plans of his own and he wanted to have everything set up first, so that he could provide the best possible life for them both. Before he became ill, he had saved hard and worked long hours, often without taking a day off.
2012 Marty married Emma on Wednesday 21 March 2012. It was the perfect day. The wedding was meticulously planned by the loving couple; from the boat ride down the River Fal, to the secluded picturesque Smuggler's Cottage, where family and friends enjoyed an afternoon full of joy and laughter. Marty had a loving family and once married, his life was now complete. They were a great couple who shared many interests and enjoyed doing absolutely everything together. Their sense of fun and humour was a perfect match. Marty doted on Emma, as did Emma with Marty, they were a couple who truly lived to make each other happy.
2013 In May, Marty and Emma decided to sell their beautiful and much loved home in Sticker, so they could fund pioneering surgery for Martyn in Germany. In July they travelled to Coswig in Germany, where Professor Rolle operated on Martyn's lungs to remove his tumours. The surgery took place a day earlier than planned, so Marty saved his family the worry by not mentioning this. Emma rang them at the earliest opportunity to tell them the operation had already taken place, gone well and they didn’t need to worry, because he was already up and talking.
The couple returned from Germany to Cornwall on 24 October 2013, cancer free. Marty had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve within the next year and so he got on with his dream of building his own home on a piece of land that his granddad had given him. Throughout the years, Marty applied for planning consent but his applications kept being rejected, as the land was not in an area for development. But dreams are dreams and with much perseverance and with the help and support of Councillor Dick Cole, a full planning application was submitted and finally accepted.
Building Martyn's dream in Enniscaven
Once the house project had started Marty was unstoppable, he was involved in every aspect of the build, whether this was manual labour or issuing strict instructions to his mum and dad, who were more than happy to comply. He laid the floor tiles, put up the coving, painted the ceiling, loaded the cement mixer, drove the digger, built all the sheds, watered the grass, put in the post and rail fencing and much more.
He employed family and friends to work on the house, preferring to pay them rather than strangers, so that they would benefit from the work completed and know that they had had a part in fulfilling his dream. This project was something Marty immensely enjoyed, knowing that he was providing a sanctuary for Emma and spending quality time with family and friends during the build, he has left his legacy in the new home they named Glynndawny (made of of Martyn and Emma's middle names) and he was proud of all that was achieved.
Favourite things Throughout Marty’s life he had many interests, many of which were food! His favourite was a good curry, namely a chicken bhuna. Every day was more or less planned around food and if he managed to smuggle in a pasty at lunchtime, he considered it a good day! Marty’s Sundays in particular had to include a roast dinner - preferably chicken with all the trimmings. Going to the cinema was also one of Marty’s favourite activities, he loved to watch an array of movies including Star Wars, Transformers, Iron Man and anything else that was action packed and full of adventure.
Marty was also an avid theatre goer where he enjoyed The Lion King, Oliver Twist and Mary Poppins amongst others. Much to the amusement of his friends Marty was partial to the odd musical, which is not something your average mechanic would admit to! Both Marty and Emma were big kids at heart, evident by the vast number of collectable toys that they amassed together, creating a lovely home with their own unique style.
Growing up it was clear to see from a young age that Marty was a very sociable character, he enjoyed spending time with people and always had the biggest smile when in the company of family and friends. Marty was always happy with a cheeky grin on his face, which is evident in all the photos we have of him. His fun spirit and enthusiasm for life was infectious and he loved playing pranks, he would often instigate jokes and encourage others to join in.
For those of you that had the privilege to know Marty, you will have experienced how well he could always turn a negative into a positive. He was loving, caring and fun to be around. He always had the answer to help a friend in need. He was a problem solver and never a quitter. He was quick witted and near impossible to wind up. Nothing was ever too much trouble for Marty where friends and family were concerned and you could always rely on him to come to the rescue in any circumstance.
A good example of this is when his friends Simon and Nancy were leaving for the airport for their wedding in Cuba. However, Simon had accidentally filled his car with the wrong fuel, which put the whole event in jeopardy! It was Marty to the rescue. He dropped everything and drained the fuel tank in the dark, ensuring Simon´s car was back on the road with minutes to spare. Marty wouldn't accept a penny for his efforts, instead he was satisfied to call Simon's brother straight away to inform him of his stupidity - which Simon would have preferred to have kept quiet!
Marty was selfless in every way possible, he cared more about his friends and family then he did himself. He was loyal, and always in your corner. He would help everybody without hesitation and those that were touched by Marty should cherish that forever. All through his illness he just got on with it, living life and enjoying it to the full. The doctors and nurses were amazed at his fighting spirit and were very fond of him. Marty inspired others to concentrate on what's important and enjoy life. Marty felt lucky that he had the best family he could ever wish for and no shortage of support from his friends.
2014 Martyn passed away peacefully, at Mount Edgcumbe's Hospice in St. Austell, on 24 October 2014 with is family by his side. His funeral was held at St. Enoder Church, where over 400 people attended. A private family cremation took place at Bodmon, Glynn Valley. It was Marty's wish to have his ashes split between his wife, Emma and his Mum and Dad, Linda and Tony; who chose to have their ashes placed at St. Enoder cemetery, so that all his family and friends could have a place to visit and remember him.
Marty started out his life living next door to his dearly beloved granny and grampy at Enniscaven. At the age of 4, Marty’s mum and dad built their own bungalow in Summercourt and he attended Summercourt County Primary School. It was here that he met some of his lifelong friends. Some particular memories of Marty from his friends were that he was very into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which was on his favourite jumper that he used to wear.
1985 Marty enjoyed playing football for Summercourt Football Team. He formed a formidable central defensive partnership with his friend Simon. Their style resembled ballerinas, spinning around with one leg in the air at speed but rarely connecting with the ball! Marty always enjoyed playtime games including football and tag. Marty’s favourite game however was bumper cars; this involved folding your arms and then running into your mates. Marty loved this game so much that at the end of the day he would bumper car into unsuspecting parents.
1991 Marty and his friends moved on to Newquay Treviglas School, where his love of practical jokes continued, usually on the bus journeys into school. One particular incident involved another boy being tricked into thinking that it was a non-uniform day – he was the only student to turn up wearing casual clothes much to Marty's amusement. Lunch time usually involved playing basketball and Marty with his strong physical attributes was also a keen rugby player.
Secondary School After leaving school Marty and his friends discovered pubs and clubs, many of their nights out could only be described as legendary. Marty would ensure his friends made it home safely and always seemed to be the one in control when they were worse for wear. His favourite evenings out were in Newquay at The Red Lion pub, because of his love for live music.
Growing up, Marty would enjoy his days being active outdoors with his family and took a real interest in engineering. He learnt from his dad, with a spanner in hand helping on various projects and having fun on the motor bikes where he learnt to ride from the age of two. Marty’s older brother Darren was the Cornish Grasstrack Champion for several years, which is something Marty was extremely proud of.
Grass track There were many weekends and holidays that were spent with his family enjoying grasstrack and speedway events. Marty followed in his brothers footsteps and rode for Cornwall Grasstrack Intercentre Team. He took real pride in his bikes and spent hours polishing them with his dad. Summers and weekends were also spent pursuing his love of engineering; he would attend work with his Dad and enjoy spending time with his friend Roger, where they used to take things apart and then attempt to fix them again.
Apprenticeship and first job Marty followed his passion and went on to complete an apprenticeship at Micky Sinnotts. It has been said that he was the hardest worker and best fitter you would ever have the privilege to work with or employ. This is a true testament to his mum and dad, who supported him every step of the way. The great work ethic they instilled into him proved instrumental in his life and they were always there to offer guidance and support. Marty was employed by Lobb Brothers alongside his dad in repairing heavy plant machinery. From there he moved on and gained a strong reputation working with Bell Equipment, Vincent Tractors, Hydrex and Denbow International.
The Royal Cornwall Show Each year Marty would make sure he took a day off to take his Grampy to the Royal Cornwall show in which he treated him to day filled with lively banter, laughter and good food. One of their rituals was to find the Cornish wrestling tent to view his granddads wrestling belt, Marty was very proud of his Grampy as he was Cornish Champion for many years.
2001 At the young age of 21, Marty bought his first house at Fraddon which was a huge project that required complete renovation. His Granddad and dad helped him to renovate it, along with a bit of help from his friends. As always his mum was at the ready with her paintbrush in hand!
2004 During 2004, Marty was often acting as a roadie for his friend JD in London. On one of these nights he was setting up for a gig at the Borderline venue. It was here that through JD´s mutual friend, Ruth, that he met his soul mate and best friend Emma. They instantly became inseparable and for the first year of their relationship they both travelled long distances to see each other at weekends.
2005 By 2005, Marty and Emma moved into their first house together in Treviscoe. Having a dog had always been one of Emma’s dreams and knowing how much it meant to her he made it happen. Marty and Emma adopted their first dog, Duke, a greyhound who had been badly neglected and needed a loving new home. Emma´s other dream was to own a Classic Fiat 500, which they managed to find on ebay and customise to their taste; this classic car is still a treasured member of the family. If she was happy, he was even happier and content in making sure she was looked after.
2008 Marty and Emma bought their own house together in Sticker, St. Austell, where they moved in with their two newly adopted greyhounds Brew and Hex. Over the years that they spent at Sticker they enjoyed making improvements to their home and digging up the jungle of a garden.
Marty wasn’t one to go off on lavish holidays but he did love to meet up with friends; he was a regular visitor to Germany and Spain where his close friends were living. A holiday wasn't a holiday unless it involved spending time with his closest friends and family. His trip to Paris with his sister Jacqui and brother in law Romi were some of his fondest memories, along with the trip to Disney Land Paris, which his mum had organised to treat all the family.
2011 Marty’s whole life got turned upside down and he faced his biggest challenge when he became ill at the young age of 31. From the very start of his illness, he remained upbeat and positive, he never once complained, he was always more concerned about how his diagnosis was effecting his friends and family. Over the last three years Marty kept his loved ones busy, so that they didn't have time to think about what he was going through, he was selfless to the core, always putting everyone's feelings before his own.
For a long time Marty´s friends believed that they had found a way to wind him up by constantly pressuring him to set a date to marry Emma. However, Marty had plans of his own and he wanted to have everything set up first, so that he could provide the best possible life for them both. Before he became ill, he had saved hard and worked long hours, often without taking a day off.
2012 Marty married Emma on Wednesday 21 March 2012. It was the perfect day. The wedding was meticulously planned by the loving couple; from the boat ride down the River Fal, to the secluded picturesque Smuggler's Cottage, where family and friends enjoyed an afternoon full of joy and laughter. Marty had a loving family and once married, his life was now complete. They were a great couple who shared many interests and enjoyed doing absolutely everything together. Their sense of fun and humour was a perfect match. Marty doted on Emma, as did Emma with Marty, they were a couple who truly lived to make each other happy.
2013 In May, Marty and Emma decided to sell their beautiful and much loved home in Sticker, so they could fund pioneering surgery for Martyn in Germany. In July they travelled to Coswig in Germany, where Professor Rolle operated on Martyn's lungs to remove his tumours. The surgery took place a day earlier than planned, so Marty saved his family the worry by not mentioning this. Emma rang them at the earliest opportunity to tell them the operation had already taken place, gone well and they didn’t need to worry, because he was already up and talking.
The couple returned from Germany to Cornwall on 24 October 2013, cancer free. Marty had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve within the next year and so he got on with his dream of building his own home on a piece of land that his granddad had given him. Throughout the years, Marty applied for planning consent but his applications kept being rejected, as the land was not in an area for development. But dreams are dreams and with much perseverance and with the help and support of Councillor Dick Cole, a full planning application was submitted and finally accepted.
Building Martyn's dream in Enniscaven
Once the house project had started Marty was unstoppable, he was involved in every aspect of the build, whether this was manual labour or issuing strict instructions to his mum and dad, who were more than happy to comply. He laid the floor tiles, put up the coving, painted the ceiling, loaded the cement mixer, drove the digger, built all the sheds, watered the grass, put in the post and rail fencing and much more.
He employed family and friends to work on the house, preferring to pay them rather than strangers, so that they would benefit from the work completed and know that they had had a part in fulfilling his dream. This project was something Marty immensely enjoyed, knowing that he was providing a sanctuary for Emma and spending quality time with family and friends during the build, he has left his legacy in the new home they named Glynndawny (made of of Martyn and Emma's middle names) and he was proud of all that was achieved.
Favourite things Throughout Marty’s life he had many interests, many of which were food! His favourite was a good curry, namely a chicken bhuna. Every day was more or less planned around food and if he managed to smuggle in a pasty at lunchtime, he considered it a good day! Marty’s Sundays in particular had to include a roast dinner - preferably chicken with all the trimmings. Going to the cinema was also one of Marty’s favourite activities, he loved to watch an array of movies including Star Wars, Transformers, Iron Man and anything else that was action packed and full of adventure.
Marty was also an avid theatre goer where he enjoyed The Lion King, Oliver Twist and Mary Poppins amongst others. Much to the amusement of his friends Marty was partial to the odd musical, which is not something your average mechanic would admit to! Both Marty and Emma were big kids at heart, evident by the vast number of collectable toys that they amassed together, creating a lovely home with their own unique style.
Growing up it was clear to see from a young age that Marty was a very sociable character, he enjoyed spending time with people and always had the biggest smile when in the company of family and friends. Marty was always happy with a cheeky grin on his face, which is evident in all the photos we have of him. His fun spirit and enthusiasm for life was infectious and he loved playing pranks, he would often instigate jokes and encourage others to join in.
For those of you that had the privilege to know Marty, you will have experienced how well he could always turn a negative into a positive. He was loving, caring and fun to be around. He always had the answer to help a friend in need. He was a problem solver and never a quitter. He was quick witted and near impossible to wind up. Nothing was ever too much trouble for Marty where friends and family were concerned and you could always rely on him to come to the rescue in any circumstance.
A good example of this is when his friends Simon and Nancy were leaving for the airport for their wedding in Cuba. However, Simon had accidentally filled his car with the wrong fuel, which put the whole event in jeopardy! It was Marty to the rescue. He dropped everything and drained the fuel tank in the dark, ensuring Simon´s car was back on the road with minutes to spare. Marty wouldn't accept a penny for his efforts, instead he was satisfied to call Simon's brother straight away to inform him of his stupidity - which Simon would have preferred to have kept quiet!
Marty was selfless in every way possible, he cared more about his friends and family then he did himself. He was loyal, and always in your corner. He would help everybody without hesitation and those that were touched by Marty should cherish that forever. All through his illness he just got on with it, living life and enjoying it to the full. The doctors and nurses were amazed at his fighting spirit and were very fond of him. Marty inspired others to concentrate on what's important and enjoy life. Marty felt lucky that he had the best family he could ever wish for and no shortage of support from his friends.
2014 Martyn passed away peacefully, at Mount Edgcumbe's Hospice in St. Austell, on 24 October 2014 with is family by his side. His funeral was held at St. Enoder Church, where over 400 people attended. A private family cremation took place at Bodmon, Glynn Valley. It was Marty's wish to have his ashes split between his wife, Emma and his Mum and Dad, Linda and Tony; who chose to have their ashes placed at St. Enoder cemetery, so that all his family and friends could have a place to visit and remember him.
Our lives go on without you, but nothing is the same. I have to hide my heartache, when someone speaks your name. Sad are the hearts that love you, silent are the tears that fall. Living without you, is the hardest part of all. You did so many things for us, your heart was so kind and true. And when we needed someone, we could always count on you. The special years will not return when we were together, but the love in my heart, will stay with me forever.
If you have a memory of Martyn that you would like to share, you can submit your memory here and it will be added to the memories of Marty page.
You also might like to listen and watch the video of one of Marty's favourite songs.
If you have a memory of Martyn that you would like to share, you can submit your memory here and it will be added to the memories of Marty page.
You also might like to listen and watch the video of one of Marty's favourite songs.