Martin A. Chittum Sr., 72, of rural Sharpsville, Ind., died at home Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. Marty was born in Morgantown, on Oct. 4, 1949, to George D. Chittum Jr. and Betty V. (Valentine) Chittum. He met Mary K. Harter in Morgantown, and, after a short courtship they were wed on Aug. 30, 1969.
Martin served in the U.S. Navy in the late 1960s, stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes, where he taught in electronics school. Marty trained as an electrical engineer, attending West Virginia University, Milwaukee School of Engineering and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He was employed at Astronautics Corporation of America in Milwaukee and the Delco Products Division of General Motors in Oak Creek, Wis. In 1984, Marty and his family moved to Indiana when he transferred to Delco (later Delphi) Kokomo. He stayed there until he retired in 2001.
He was an avid amateur (ham) radio operator, starting when he was 14 years-old, and his most recent call sign was W9XN. He was a member of the Amateur Radio Relay League and Ten-Ten International Net. Marty held an Amateur Extra license, the highest FCC license possible for amateur radio, and he often participated in radio call competitions.
He had a love of music, playing bass in several bands in Morgantown and Milwaukee and listening to music from all over the world, thanks to his amateur radio. He was an avid hockey fan, especially of his Pittsburgh Penguins.
Besides his wife Mary, Marty is survived by his mother, Betty Chittum, of Westover; son, Martin A. Chittum Jr. And his wife Ni (Zhang) Chittum, of Homer, N.Y.; son, George D. Chittum IV and his partner Kate Richmond; son, John R. Chittum and partner Alison DeSimone, of Kansas City, Mo.; and brother, George D. Chittum III and wife Mary Ellen, of Florida.
It was Marty’s wish to be buried back in West Virginia. Graveside services were conducted at Beverly Hills Cemetery in Westover, at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 23 with rite of committal officiated by Father John McDonough.
