Obituary of Captain Martin J. Doermann

Captain Martin J. Doermann (CHC), USN (Ret) of Hillsborough, NC went to his Eternal Father at Duke University Hospital on November 22, 2016. He was born to the late Rev Gerhard H. and Mary J. Doermann in Blue Island, Illinois on December 6, 1925. Following graduation from Sterling Township High School, Sterling, Illinois, in May 1943, he was accepted into the Navy's V-12 program and attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. From there he went to the U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipman's School at Cornell University and received his commission in the United States Navy in June 1945. Captain Doermann married the love of his life Barbara K (Reck) Doermann, who survives, on January 26, 1949. Upon being commissioned he attended the Advanced Line School in Miami, Fl, and then served a tour as Assistant Navigator aboard the USS Topeka (CL-67). He returned to inactive duty in 1946 and back to school where he obtained a Divinity Degree from Capital University and entered the Evangelical Lutheran Seminary, both in Columbus, Ohio. He was following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfathers. He called back to active duty in 1950 and was assigned duties as Division Officer and Instructor with the Organized Surface Division 6/21 in Charlotte, NC. In 1952, Lieutenant (jg) Doermann was ordained and transferred to the Chaplain Corps where he served as the Chaplain for Destroyer Squadron 26 and deployed to Korea. During his 30 year career, Captain Doermann has served in various line officer and chaplain billets throughout the United States and overseas in such places as Florida, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, Maryland, Morocco, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Spain, Vietnam and Illinois; and sea duty from destroyers to aircraft carriers. Captain Doermann's last assignment was as Force Chaplain, Fleet Marine Forces, Atlantic Headquarters, Norfolk, VA. He retired in August 1975. After leaving from military service, Captain Doermann moved to Bremen, Ohio, in 1975 where he reinvigorated the small Lutheran church outside of Hide-Away-Hills. The family relocated to Pensacola, Florida in 1979. While here, he served as part-time pastor in Gulf Breeze, Florida and Biloxi, Mississippi. In 1988, he and his wife moved to Hillsborough, NC, where he focused on golf, hunting, fishing and especially his beloved dogs. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Connie Faber and Nancy Bennett. In addition to his wife, Captain Doermann is survived by two sons, Geoffry (Elma) of Mebane, NC, and James (Evelyn) of Rock Hill, SC, and a daughter Deborah Burch of Durham, NC. He also leaves seven grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and 5 nieces and nephews. A service to celebrate his life will be held at 2 pm on Monday, November 28, 2016 at Walker Funeral Home, 204 N Churton St, Hillsborough, NC. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 pm on Sunday, November 27, 2016, at Walker's. Final interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Durham Rescue Mission, P.O. Box 11368, Durham, NC 27703. You may also sign the online register book at www.walkerfunerslserbuce.com