My Friend Martin

Martin Harris as Scrooge, Diana Grogg as The Ghost of Christmas Past

Today, I am looking at the memorial I’m planning for my friend Martin. Martin played Scrooge for years, first by himself in a one man show–of which he got to perform in Dickens own house three feet from where Dickens died. for eleven years he performed at The Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco. I was his Ghost of Christmas Past for six Fairs. What a grand time we had, too. When Martin had to return to England  to care for his father, he would return to San Francisco each year to perform Scrooge for Dickens. On Christmas  Eve as he flew home, he would be allowed on the speaker system of the plane and would read the last chapter of “A Christmas Carol” out loud to the passengers. Later in the evening he would perform his one man show at The Leather Bottle Inn and Pub, one of Charles Dickens hangouts. While here in San Francisco he would perform his one man show at the Berkeley City Club and The Freight and Salvage.

Martin had also performed at The Renaissance Pleasure Faire for many years in the 1970’s, 1980’s and I believe 1990’s. He performed in his last Renaissance Faire Fall of 2012. He performed in 2011 for Old Sacramento Days.

When Martin first came down with prostate cancer he was frightened, but he met it head one with his usual faith and cheerfulness. He went into remission after a four-hour operation where he nearly bled to death. He was in remission  for a couple of years. During this time, he became the spokesman in England for men getting their prostate exams. Prevention, prevention, prevention he preached.

Though he was always a cheerful lad, he had his stresses. Stress is a great cause of many types of cancer coming out of remission. Unfortunately, Martin’s returned. What I learned about prostate cancer is, when it returns it will metastasize into the bones and is usually fatal. Martin’s doctor wanted him to do radiation. Radiation frightened Martin so he became bent on curing it with a natural diet, a consumable type of hydrogen peroxide flush, vitamins, prayer and exercise. He followed Phillip Day and practiced the health guidance of this man, a leading player in the homeopathic industry.

In then end, it spread to his lymph system and had started in the bones.  The part of Scrooge was recast in San Francisco and he felt that all had been taken from him and, though he maintained his innate cheerfulness, the loss of that role was a final blow for him and he went downhill from there. He tried one bout of Chemo at his doctor’s urging, but he was too weak and his body too clean from the healthy diet to take it. Martin passed from this world on October 23rd 12:55AM PST. 8:55AM their time.

My one regret is that I was not able to talk to him as I cannot call overseas. He was too weak to do email in the end.

I love you my dear friend. I know that now, you have finally found true peace.