Dr. Sherrill Virginia Martin

Dr. Sherrill Virginia Martin passed away at Floyd Medical Center after a brief illness on December 1, 2020. Dr. Martin was born on April 20, 1940 in Enterprise, Alabama. Dr. Martin earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano at Samford University in 1962, her Masters of Music in Piano from the University of Alabama in 1967, and her Ph.D in Musicology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1974. In 1974 she began her teaching career at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1979 she moved to Wilmington, NC and taught Music History, Research in Music, Piano and coordinated the BA in music program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington for 42 years. During that time, she received many of UNCW’s most prestigious awards. She received The Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award, the Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award, The Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award, and was twice UNCW’s nominee for the Carnegie Professor the year. Additionally, she was the author of two books, five essays and was commissioned by the Yale University Music Library to complete a third book. Dr. Martin was the National Musicology Editor for the American Music Teacher and served as the National Book Review Editor for the Society for American Music. She presented lectures throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. She was elected as one of the most notable women at UNCW over the past fifty years. Dr. Martin moved to Rome in 2016 and was a member of First Baptist Church. She enjoyed the music program and attending musical productions at the Fox Theater with her church friends. She also enjoyed the Rome Symphony and the productions at the Rome Little Theater. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ollin and Jewell Martin. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law; Roger and Nancy Martin of Rome; Her niece Karen LeCroy; Her great nephew, Dr. Nicholas LeCroy and his wife Dr. Ariel LeCroy; Her nephew Jeff Martin and his wife Tiffany Martin, her great niece Alex Martin and great nephew Ollie Martin. Due to COVID a private graveside service will be held at County Line Baptist church in Enterprise, Alabama at 1:00 P.M. on December 30, 2020. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her memory to the First Baptist Church Music Ministry, PO Box 1189, Rome, GA 30162 or FBCRome.com To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Dr. Sherrill Virginia Martin, please visit our flower store.