Page 29 - Delaware Lawyer - Spring 2022

Joshua Martin and his wife, Cynthia Primo Martin, receive the Josiah Marvel Cup, the highest award of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, from Mike Quaranta, President of the Chamber. (January 7, 2019.)
Columbia’s white-only schools. How could such an environment not stifle the spirit, determination and natu- ral abilities of a young boy? Josh reveals no hint of bitterness at his early circumstances. He lauds his exceptional teachers and devoted par- ents, who galvanized him to work hard and stay positive. What he preaches to young people today, he himself embraced early in his life: “You need a dream, and you need goals. If you see a problem, solve it.” He refused, even at a young age, to let racism or any adversity deter him. In gratitude for his legal education, he and Cyn- thia created and endowed the Judge Joshua W. Martin III Scholarship Fund at Rutgers Law School, giving
preference to students from under- represented minority populations. Josh gives thanks as well to those who helped or mentored him in Del- aware, including Governor DuPont, his fellow Superior Court judges, Jim Gilliam Jr., Mort Kimmel and Ted Kauffman, among others.
His heroes? Josh has drawn great inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Justice Thurgood Mar- shall, but on a more personal level, he claims as his favorite heroes his three daughters, one of whom tragi- cally died at age 44, and all of whom, he says with pride, became highly accomplished in their chosen fields. No description of Josh would be fair or complete without comment on his
human qualities. His deep kindness, generous spirit and humility abound. His velvet baritone voice projects the warmth, calm, integrity and wisdom that he embodies, while his benign and focused gaze instantly transforms his listener into the only person in the room, however crowded it may be. Delawareans should make no mistake: Josh sits in the pantheon of Delaware icons. His contributions to our state and our nation, as well as his per- sonal virtues, defy exaggeration. Any reader who has not met him should make a point of intersecting his orbit. Odds are, he will lift your spirits, inspire you, and incite you to boast to others merely that you made his acquaintance.
SPRING 2022 DELAWARE LAWYER 27
PHOTO BY DICK DUBROFF / FINAL FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY AND PROVIDED BY THE DELAWARE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.