Martin (Marty) Golia, of Fairport, N.Y., died on July 6, 2024. By his side were his sister Nanette and four sons, Nathan (Amy), Roy, Zane (Amelia) and Leo, as well as his college roommates, Jeff Bailey and Peter Jacobs. In addition to the relatives above, he is survived by his two grandchildren, Eli and Juniper, and his father, F. Martin. He is predeceased by his mother Nancy.
Marty was born in White Plains, N.Y. on Feb. 8, 1959. He grew up in the nearby town of Hartsdale, where he attended Sacred Heart and Iona schools. He attended Syracuse University, studying film. There he met Suzanne Roth, who he was married to for 39 years. In 1990, the family relocated from Hartsdale to Fairport, a town he loved, often walking its streets and taking pictures to post on social media.
Marty’s aptitude for art surfaced early in life. He was a lifelong lover of comics — especially the underground and esoteric. His iconoclastic streak extended to his favorite varieties of other arts: Marty was well known for his love of film noir and surf guitar, hard-boiled mystery novels and the midcentury space-age aesthetic. He loved the Delta blues and slide-guitar masters. He collected fezzes, Thermoses, Big Boy statuettes and other under appreciated ephemera. He threw Halloween parties that blended his love of both the camp and macabre. In his final years, he served on Fairport’s Public Arts Committee where he made a concerted effort to elevate new artists.
Marty’s career in instructional design ingrained him in Rochester’s business community, where he was well-regarded for his attention to detail and affable attitude. For the last decade of his life, he worked at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where in addition to his regular duties he worked to support the university’s arts community.
To celebrate Marty’s life, an exhibition of his art and collection will be held at an emerging gallery space at 3 Railroad St., Suite G, Fairport; on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 4-8pm and again on Sunday, Aug. 11 from 12-3pm. For friends wishing to make a contribution to the family, please consider buying an item from the Fairport Public Art Committee site at fairportart.org.