A memorial gathering to remember and honor Richard Mckelvy Martin will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 11 at Welch Ryce-Haider Funeral home, 15 E. Sola St., Santa Barbara.
Dr. Richard Martin died peacefully in his sleep a few minutes before midnight on Sunday May 10, 2026 following a long, difficult struggle with dementia.
A scientist and a scholar, Dr. Martin was born Jan. 26, 1936, to William McKelvy Martin and Kathryn Louise Homan Martin in Hollywood, California.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UC Riverside in 1959, doing research under James Pitts on photochemistry. He earned his Ph.D in physical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1963, and did a National Institute of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard University from 1963-65 under Dudley Herschbach.
Richard taught chemistry at UC Santa Barbara from 1965 until he retired in 1994, receiving tenure in 1971. After his retirement he was honored as a professor emeritus.
After the Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969, Richard was part of the Environmental Studies Formation Committee at UCSB, which established the Environmental Studies Department; he also worked for that department as a professor and coordinator.
During his career as a professor, Richard gave lectures abroad in Japan, East Germany, Holland, and Great Britain, and published more than 80 scientific papers.
During sabbaticals Richard also held positions as a visiting professor of chemistry at Cambridge University in England, and visiting professor at the Max Planck Institute in Gottingen, Germany.
Richard had three children with his first wife Joanne Kinkade: Vivian Martin, Barbara Martin, and William John Martin. He later married Susan Emmel in 1974 and had a happy partnership with her until her tragic death from cancer in 1996.
However, joy came again when Richard met Penny Rickling in 2003. They married in 2005 and had a devoted and loving partnership.
Richard was never idle. He loved the outdoors, hiking and bicycling, swimming and traveling. As well as his teaching positions in England and Germany, he visited many countries including Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
Richard’s travels continued with Penny as they enjoyed visits to Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, London, France and Italy.
In quieter moments he occupied himself with extensive reading, and with writing, including poetry and his own memoirs. Richard also enjoyed building, improving and fixing things, and was always working on projects in his shop.
Richard was a brilliant and passionate man, who believed in science, rational thought, and humanism. He was actively involved in the Humanist Society of Santa Barbara for many years, serving as treasurer and then president.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents; sister Alberta Martin Keeney; first and second wives Joanne Kinkade Miller and Susan Emmel Martin; daughter Barbara Martin; and son William John Martin.
Richard is survived by his wife Penny Martin; daughter Vivian Martin Olsen (William); seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and Penny’s sons David Rickling (Margaret) and Eric Rickling (Mari); and Penny’s three grandchildren.