Marty Drain

In Loving Memory of Marty Drain

With heartfelt sorrow, we announce the passing of Marty Drain of Clarksville, Maryland, on Friday, August 15, 2025. Marty’s charismatic presence touched the lives of family, friends, and all who had the immense privilege to know him.

Born on March 20, 1959, in Washington, DC, to Martin and Isabel Drain. Marty is survived by his wife Cheri; his children, Amanda (Tim) Gillman, Andrew Drain, Austin (Amy) Drain, and Alyssa Drain; his grandson Joey Gillman; and his sisters Mercedes Kearney and Peggy.  A third sister, Madelon Butler, and his grandson Weston Gillman, preceded him in death.

Marty attended Our Lady of Sorrow in Takoma Park, MD, Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, DC, Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, MD, and the University of Maryland in College Park, MD.

His choice of university proved auspicious on January 20, 1981, when he met his future wife Cheri in the back of local campus bar The Cellar. It was the night of President Reagan’s Inauguration, as well as the day the American hostages held in Iran were released after more than a year spent in captivity. Marty tied a yellow ribbon—a symbol of hope and support for the safe return of hostages—around Cheri’s foot, and a 44-year-long loving relationship was born.

The couple married four years after they met, on June 15, 1985. They lived in Virginia Beach, VA, before moving back to a quiet neighborhood in Seabrook, MD, where they started their family. In 1998 they moved to Clarksville, MD, and this past summer Marty and Cheri celebrated 40 years of marriage—a testament to the strength of their devotion to one another.

From a very young age, Marty committed to working hard. He began with a paper route, waking up at 5:00 am to deliver The Washington Post by bicycle. In 1979 he started working at family-owned Sonco Fence, where he began doing counter sales—and which included the critically important job of sweeping the warehouse! But his affability and work ethic so impressed the owner that he was soon promoted to salesman, and his legendary career truly began.

According to the owner’s son, Marty was instrumental in the growth and success of Sonco Fence, which became his home away from home. For 34 years he worked in sales, ending his tenure with the company in the role of Executive Vice President. But he wasn’t done yet. Shortly after leaving Sonco, he became a pillar in the commercial fence industry, rising to Executive Sales Manager at Stephens Pipe and Steel in Bladensburg, MD.

A career, however, only tells part of the story of a life. We are all more than what we do to make a living. And one can’t understand Marty without referencing sports.

Marty revered sports as both a spectator and a participant. One summer, when he was 7 years old, he famously (and creatively) used a refrigerator magnet to collect baseball bottle caps from the catch baskets inside vending machines to earn tickets to the Washington Senators at RFK Stadium. He then brought his friends with him to cheer for the home team. (Even as a child, Marty was on the lookout for a good deal.)

In high school he wrestled, winning multiple championships; played baseball; and earned numerous medals as a member of the Knights of Columbus Swim Team. He was still a terrific athlete in adulthood. He ran marathons, played golf, and frequented the gym, where he lifted weights and relished push-up contests.

He never missed his children’s games and often stepped up to coach. He coached both of his daughters in soccer and basketball and both of his sons in soccer, flag football, and basketball. In 2012 he was over the moon when he coached both of his sons’ recreational basketball teams to championship wins one week apart.

Marty was a Maryland Terrapin, through and through, and enjoyed taking his daughters, also graduates of the University of Maryland, to the school’s basketball games. Because he spent so much time playing sports with his sons, he always made sure to spend an equal amount of time with his daughters, taking them out one-on-one.

For 33 years he participated alongside his sons, nephews, and brothers-in-law in a fantasy football league. But it was the real deal that had captured his heart. He loved the NFL. Although he grew up as a fan of the Washington Redskins (now Commanders), he was teased mercilessly for being a “fair-weather fan” when he switched allegiances to the Baltimore Ravens upon his move to Clarksville.

A season ticketholder for the Baltimore Ravens, Marty loved taking his sons to games at M&T Bank Stadium. On February 3, 2013, he and his son Austin were at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana for Super Bowl XLVII, where they watched Marty’s beloved Ravens defeat the 49ers, 34–31.

It wasn’t only the game of football that attracted Marty, but the culture that surrounded it. Known as “Marty Party” to his friends, he loved a good tailgate, and was, in fact, the life of any party. He created communities wherever he went. He was a permanent fixture at his wife’s family’s holiday get-togethers and social events. And a regular at gatherings of his cul-de-sac’s friend group, nicknamed the GLL Gang.  He loved hitting all the Happy Hours and live bands in Ocean City, MD, where he’d spend quality time with his View Crew.

He was often called the “Mayor of Clarksville,” because he knew everyone, from the receptionist at his gym to the cashier at the local donut shop. He took genuine pleasure in being around others.

As for Marty’s achievements and accolades, he can claim the greatest of these: he knew how to be a good man, and those of us lucky enough to know him delighted in his company. In a world dominated by brashness and by what people call “hard skills,” Marty excelled at the soft ones. And it’s the soft skills that are rare, and their impact often hard to measure.

Marty was the quintessential “great guy.” He was a man who truly lived his Catholic faith. He worked hard to support his family. He was steadfast and reliable. He loved his wife and children dearly, and he showed it. He smiled and laughed often. He was always glad to see you when you came into view. He was kind to everyone. And he expressed his joy and created joy in others wherever he went. His life was a well-lived life. What are we here for, after all, if not to be a comfort to those around us?

We will hold Marty and his example in our hearts, forever and always.

A Visitation will be held from 5:00 until 8:00 pm on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at the Donaldson Funeral Home of Clarksville, P.A., 12540 Clarksville Pike (Rt. 108), Clarksville, MD, 21029.

A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 am on the following day, Friday, August 22, 2025, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 8300 Old Columbia Road, Fulton, MD, 20759.

Repast details will be shared following the funeral mass

Marty will be interred privately at a later date.

Flowers are welcome. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 1100, Bethesda, MD, 20814.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
4550 Montgomery Avenue Suite 1100, Bethesda MD 20814
Web: https://www.cff.org/donate