Jake Martin is the son Gary “Scoop” and Neva, the brother of Tyrel, and the father of Cullen and Riley.
Jake was an avid outdoorsman with a passion for the American West. He turned this into a flourishing career with the US Forest Service, most recently at the Eagle Lake Ranger District. Jake absolutely loved his career, as well as the people he worked with. He served as a Lead READ to oversee all divisions of the US Forest Service and protect and repair all of the forest’s resources during and after forest fires. Jake made many groundbreaking discoveries in his career, including the finding that native populations existed in the area for far longer than what was previously recorded. He was most proud of the preservation work he did on the 2021 Dixie Fire. Jake is a two-time alumni of CSU Chico with bachelors and masters degrees from the department of Anthropology. He was a graduate teaching assisting during his time there, and taught hundreds of students with his love for the subject. Jake loved people. He was a very community-oriented person, and served as a board member for the Schaffer Elementary School District.
Family was one of the most important things to Jake. From a very young age and into adulthood, he built many memories with his parents, brother, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends on annual hunting and camping trips. He loved to hunt, but more than that he truly thrived when assisting those close to him to successful hunts of their own. He also valued time with his extended family completing the annual cattle working duties on his grandfather’s Eastern Oregon ranch.
When he wasn’t spending time outdoors in the woods, Jake and his childhood-friend-turned-college-roommate co-led a World of Warcraft guild for over 200 members, and built international friendships through roughly a decade of being involved with the game.
Jake was a driven athlete, competing in football, basketball, and baseball as a Big Valley High School Cardinal. His love for football extended far beyond playing the sport. He also loved watching the games with friends, and managed two fantasy football leagues. Jake was involved in agriculture beginning early in childhood, and participated in both 4-H and FFA. He was a member of the Big Valley High School graduating class of 2007, with whom he had lifelong friendships with several boys who went all the way through school together. These now men still have a fraternal bond that will last a lifetime.
Jake is preceded in death by his grandparents, Leroy and Marie Roberts, as well as his cousins Wyatt and Bucko Willhite.
Jake is survived by his parents Scoop and Neva, brother Tyrel, sons Cullen and Riley, grandfather Gary Martin, Aunts and Uncles Linda (Mike) Willhite, Matt “Bear” Martin, Reed (Amy) Roberts, many cousins, and an abundance of friends.
A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, September 29, 2024, at 11am in Bieber, CA, at Big Valley High School Gymnasium.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to a foundation being established in Jake’s memory to support CSU Chico students studying Anthropology. Additionally, a fund is established for the successful future of Jakes children, Cullen and Riley. Donations can be made at the service or by contacting the family liaison, Lori Lewis, at (530) 260-1640.