Martin William Cole

Martin William Cole was born May 15, 1970, in Commerce, Texas to parents Martin and Sandra Cole. He went to be with his Lord and Savior just a few weeks after his 56th birthday.

He is preceded in death by his parents Martin and Sandra, and wife Annette Smithey Cole. He is survived by his sister Annie Delabano, her husband Anthony, step-father Clifton Bracken, step-brother, step-sisters and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Marty graduated from Troup High School where he played football, attended Tyler Junior College and Kent State in Ohio. He earned his B.S. in 1994, and three Masters degrees after that in 1995, 1998, and 1999. He taught for several years out of state but landed in Webster Parish in August of 2010. He began teaching English at Webster Junior High and later moved to Lakeside Jr./Sr. High School where he taught English for several years and then moved to special education. He married Annette Smithey Cole January 10, 2015, and they had many wonderful years together before she passed.

During his career, he interacted with thousands of students. He was an outstanding teacher, but more importantly he was an incredible person. A constant in the hundreds of stories that have been shared about our beloved Mr. Cole is that he treated every human being he encountered with dignity and love. He was a true servant, selfless and genuine. He didn’t just teach curriculum, he taught his students, co-workers, and friends how to be good people.

His nephew John Michael Fish said it best when he wrote, “The kindness he taught in the classroom, the encouragement he gave his students, and the compassion he showed others weren’t lessons he turned on and off. They were who he was every single day. Once you met Marty, you felt seen. You felt valued. You felt loved. He spent his life lifting people up, and because of that, there are countless people standing a little taller today because he was part of their story.”

He was our brightest day and our loudest cheer. He will be forever missed.

A Celebration of Life for Martin “Marty” Cole will be held at First Baptist Church-Minden on Wednesday June 17th at 10am. In lieu of flowers, his family and friends request donations be made in his memory to the Minden St. Jude account at B1 Bank.

Tuesday night, June 16, Lakeside will host an evening of sharing memories of Marty Cole: a teacher, mentor, and friend, from 6-8pm. All who loved him are welcome to attend.