Terry Joe Martin was born December 28, 1947 in Baxter Springs, Kansas, as the youngest son of Verl Martin and Marie (Bowers) Martin. He attended school in Baxter Springs and after graduating from Baxter Springs High School in 1965, enrolled at Pittsburg State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1969. From there he moved to Manhattan, Kansas and completed a Masters of Science in Plant Pathology in 1972. He completed his studies at Michigan State University where he earned his PhD in Botany and Plant Pathology in 1974.
Joe married Lorna Price on November 4, 1966 and they were lifelong partners of nearly 60 years. Together, they raised three sons: Todd, Denny, and Jeffrey. After Joe completed his studies, the family settled in Hays, Kansas after he accepted a faculty position, in 1974, as a Plant Pathologist at the Kansas State University, Agricultural Research Center-Hays (ARCH). In 1979, Joe took over the Wheat Breeding program after his colleague, mentor, and friend, Dr Ron Livers, passed away.
As Wheat Breeder, Joe released his first hard red winter wheat variety, Arkan, in 1982. Over the course of his career he would release a total of eleven varieties of wheat with Arkan, Trego, and Danby representing the most planted variety in the state of Kansas in multiple years. In 2004, Danby was the most planted hard white winter wheat in the southern Great Plains. In 2011, Clara CL, a hard white winter wheat with Clearfield herbicide resistance, was the last variety he released before his retirement in 2012. During his 37-year tenure at KSU-ARCH, Kansas wheat farmers experienced steady yield increases of one quarter to one half bushel/acre/year due to the work and dedication of the hard-working team of scientists in the Wheat Breeding Program. By 2012, the KSU Wheat Breeding program was generating $89 million/year in benefits to the state, which represented a return of more than $18 for every $1 invested in the research program. Joe’s legacy was his established commitment to the economic well-being of Kansas farmers, improving their ability to feed the world.
Joe was active in the community. Many have fond memories of him as their baseball coach and scout leader and he was a member, for many years, of the Hays Lions Club. He loved spending time at Grand Lake, Oklahoma after the wheat harvest was in every summer, and he enjoyed playing Hearts or Pitch with his family or relaxing while watching a favorite John Wayne movie, listening to Johnny Cash, or tuning in Denny Matthews calling the Royals on AM radio.
Joe is preceded in death by his parents and youngest son Jeffrey. He is survived by his wife, Lorna, and two sons and their spouses; Todd and Donna, and Denny and Becky; his two brothers, Dean and Ray; grandchildren, Alex, Clara, Aaron, Jacob (wife Allison), Millie (husband Kevin Houseworth), Kelsi, Zoe, Ian, Isaac, Oliver, and Adam; and great granddaughter Mia.
A celebration of life will be at 11:00 am on Monday, September 14, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Ben Houchen officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 am until service time on Monday, September 14, 2026 at the church. Private Family inurnment will be in Mt. Allen Cemetery. Memorial gifts can be made payable to Humane Society of the High Plains or to Kansas State University Foundation for the Fort Hays Agricultural Research Center Fund. Services are entrusted to Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home and condolences and memories of Joe may be shared with his family at www.haysmemorial.com