Marty, as known by his mother, was a guy that was full of life. He was what others called a gentle giant. His large frame only hid a much bigger heart.
To his family he was the comedian while his twin sister, Martina, was the exact opposite. His death was a surprise to many people. It is hard to understand how a person so full of life can die suddenly and early. As a profession, he chose education and in a field that is yet tiring but rewarding.
He taught special needs students from elementary to high school. Martin had a way of being firm yet soft. He was assisting kindergarten special needs students in Wagener at the time of his death. To many of those students, Mr. Mingo was a father figure to them. He has two young children of his own, Tyshonna and Evan. They will have little memory of him. We hope that they'll never forget his smile.
Martin's parents, Earl and Joann, his siblings, Sheila, Steven and twin sister Martina, and a host of family members and friends will miss that smile, too. Though his death was the result of a drunk driver, yet his life didn't end but was defined. If Martin's life could be summed up, the quote by Mary McCarthy does it.
"We are hero of our own story." And Martin will always be our hero.
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