Benjamin Martino died August 18, 2017 in Hattiesburg, MS. He was born in Audubon, a small town in Southern New Jersey, November 9, 1921. Ben spent much of his life in ship building, ship repair and ship engineering. He was 95 years old, and had lived in Jackson County since early 1965.
In his early years, he completed an apprenticeship at New York Shipbuilding Corp; then served throughout World War II as a shipfitter with the U.S. Navy at sea. After the war, he returned to New York Shipbuilding where he served, occasionally, in a series of lower, middle and upper management positions.
Early in 1965, when he was serving as General Superintendent of Nuclear Submarine Production and New York Ship was in the process of being sold to the Port Authority, he relocated to Pascagoula where he was hired as Hull Superintendent for Submarine Construction at Ingalls Shipyard.
He was a graduate of Rutgers College of South Jersey, later studying at George Washington University, and the University of Southern Mississippi when it was at Gautier.
Through service in the National Guard he was recalled to the Army active duty for the Korean War, serving as Captain, Ordinance Corps. After returning to, and before retiring from shipbuilding, he had served as General Manager with Perth Amboy Drydocks and McAllster Bros. Shipyards (both in New Jersey); Director of Manufacturing at Litton’s Ingalls Shipyard, and CEO of Todd Shipyard in Galveston, Texas.
Ten of his post retirement years, from age 65 to 75, were spent as Program Manager from Tidewater Naval Architects, of Portsmouth, Virginia.
He was a Scottish Rite Mason, Shriner and a Charter member of Joppa Shrine Temple.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Gertrude Addis; parents, John and Katherine Martino of Audubon, New Jersey.
Survivors include his two sons, Kenneth (Deanna) Martino of Sandy Hook, MS, David (Jarme) Martino of Covington, Louisiana. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Trey, Jennifer, Ben and Kevin; all of who live in Louisiana, and Lara and Paul who both live in Mississippi and five great-grandchildren. Additionally, there are four younger siblings, all living in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
He was a member of First Baptist Church of Vancleave.
Visitation will be held at the Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, Tuesday, August 22 from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m, with a 12:30 p.m. Chapel service. Burial to follow at Biloxi National Cemetery.