Randy and Missy Martin have been a part of the island community for over a quarter of a century. Like so many islanders, they had begun humbly, living in a trailer while building a house.

“It was the defining decision of our lives together to live in the place we love, raise a family here, cultivate supportive work-life balance, and prioritize and simplify our lives in order to make it all work. The best 25 years ever!” Randy said.

With family roots in the same Gig Harbor and Fox Island community, both Missy and Randy had visited the islands as children. They met playing soccer and coaching soccer camps for kids and teams together throughout the Northwest. With the islands as a mutually loved place, the couple returned together while they dated.

“Because we loved the natural beauty, I proposed at Limekiln, and then we chose to get married there in 1997, two years prior to moving here. At the time, it was a pretty adventurous thing for us to do. It was a beautiful day shared with each other and our families and friends!” Randy explained.

Missy added “He proposed to me on March 15. I was on Spring Break in grad school, it was snowing, and we saw the whales go by while we were hiking the trails. I remember it being such a perfect weekend! How could I say no?! Everyone was so welcoming and friendly, from our officiator, caterers and lodging hosts. And when we realized we had been coming up from Tacoma to vacation here every chance we could, we decided we ought to just live here.”

After raising a family and being involved in different jobs and aspects of the community, Randy has been working at the Skagit Valley Community College with the Road Scholar program for years. Missy recently began working for the San Juan Community Foundation as assistant director.

With a busy household with three kids, it was hard to find time, as is so often the case, to be together.”Thank goodness for Gramma Maggie who lives nearby. Her support gave us time together on numerous occasions,” Randy said.

Missy responded “I would add we did not do this enough though when the kids were younger. We are working to make up for that though, with more trips together as well, now that the kids are older.”

The couple’s two daughters are now in college, but their son is high school age. Both Missy and Randy wrote that “The island community is a rich and supportive environment to raise a family. We are forever grateful to have so many impactful friends and teachers who have supported and encouraged them along their paths.”

Although their children have grown, Randy and Missy enjoy being a part of each of their children’s many activities. “We were fortunate to spend lots of time together and with other families in the realm of sports, theatre and travel. We enjoy hiking, mountain biking, travel, sports and camping on Shaw and Lopez,” Randy said, when asked if there were some activities the family enjoyed together. Beachcombing, skipping rocks, birding, paddleboarding, kayaking, exploring the woods, berry picking, clam digging and creating things from driftwood, shells, rocks and beach glass are all group activities for the Martins.

When asked if there was a moment they knew each other the one, Randy replied “I can’t identify one moment, but as we courted, exploring the San Juans and Gulf Islands on many occasions, we started to create a shared vision of what we wanted as a couple and that helped bond and ground our relationship more than I could ever have imagined. Seeing Missy become a powerful and wonderful mother was another defining moment for me. I respect her so much for how deeply and completely she loves and nurtures our kids!”

Missy, however, had a specific moment, “July 4th World Cup game, U.S. versus Brazil at Stanford University.”

The Martins explained that they have both had the privilege through our work to be around a lot of elderly couples who have spent many decades together. Those who seem especially warm and connected to one another, share their secret as something to the effect of “we embrace each other’s idiosyncrasies.” They choose to find their differences “endearing” instead of “annoying.” “We strive (imperfectly) for that and know we have a way to go!” They jointly stated.

When asked if they had any thoughts for young couples, Randy clarified first: “We’re far from perfect; it seems awkward to offer advice.” She continued, adding, “I’d say two things have helped us make it through the inevitable tough patches: We both share an undeniable commitment to one another and to our family. That’s never been in question. And, second, we have supportive kids, friends and loved ones who care for us and want the best for us as a couple. That support has been significant in our relationship.”

“Agreed!” Missy said, “And we have learned to recognize that we are not the same people as when we first began as a couple. We are changing from year to year, growing from our experiences, individually and together, but still with the same foundation of trust and friendship that we started with.”