Martin Joseph Rotondi

Martin J. Rotondi, 72, ("Marty" in his younger days), passed away at his home in St. Cloud, Florida on August 21, 2017, of a fast-growing, very agressive cancer of the mouth and neck. He is survived by his sister, Carol Altruda, niece and nephew Nancy and Michael Altruda, and their spouses, Hugo Lopez and Jeanette (nee Ackerly) and their children, Martin's grand-nephew Eric and grand-niece Aly, as well as numerous cousins, and many, many friends all over the globe. Born in New York City in 1944, son of Joseph and Sarah (nee Shumskis) Rotondi, Martin was raised in the Bronx, attending Catholic schools through 8th grade, and serving as an altar boy, and as a Sea Cadet. During his childhood some of his happiest days were spent at Hither Hills State Park in Montauk, Long Island, enjoying the beaches, square dancing, and blackberry-picking. In his teens, he returned to Montauk to work as a waiter in the summer, where he learned water ballet from a new friend, "Maw" Murphy. He attended DeWitt Clinton Highschool, excelling in academics and as a member of the Gymnastics team and Drama Club. Always a music lover, he played clarinet and guitar. Upon graduation, he studied and trained to become a Master Draftsman. In that capacity, he discovered that he enjoyed teaching others, and so went on to attain a Bachelor's Degree in Science Education at City College of New York. He taught high school science subjects in New York and in San Francisco, California. During both his high school and college years, Marty appeared in musical productions at both schools. Seeking a more adventurous occupation than teaching, he applied for a position with the National Geodetic Survey (now NOAA) and became Second Science Officer on a ship whose mission was mapping the floor of the Pacific Ocean. His next career brought him back to solid land, and he settled in the Seattle, Washington area, where in his first year as an organic farmer, he and his partner, Victor Gardaya, won seven first-prize ribbons in the State Fair. Always a restless soul, with great enthusiasm for the new and different, he next returned to his early interest in theater, and at the ripe old age (for a dancer) of 32, became a cast member of the Seattle Ballet. Martin auditioned for Miss Bluebell of Paris, France and was contracted to dance at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. From there, Martin transferred to the Le Lido de Paris where he met Timothy Hess, his next partner, in 1978. They departed Paris in 1979 south to Spain, where they were hired as principal dancers to perform in Ibiza, Tenerife, and Barcelona, Spain in nightclubs and cabarets. Following that, Martin and Timothy formed their own nightclub show in San Francisco, CA with a company of dancers and a singer known as "High Gloss", which toured Middle East, Portugal, and Spain. This was followed by a world tour as principal dancer in the first Spanish-language production of "Evita". At the same time, Martin and Tim were engaged to be back dancers for the lead, Paloma San Basilio. When “Evita” closed Martin continued to work with Paloma touring Spain, South America, and the U.S. During his time overseas he also pursued a modeling career, becoming known internationally simply as “Martin.” A knee injury brought an end to his dancing career. "We can't all be Fred Astaire, dancing at 80" he shrugged, and then proceeded to study and train to be a physical therapist, intending to help other dancers and atheletes whose livlihoods were threatened by injury. In the course of his training, however, he found that he enjoyed working with the elderly, and so specialized in that area during his approximately 20-year career as a physical therapist. Martin practiced in Seattle, Washington, then in Palm Springs, California and Maui, Hawaii, before retiring and living briefly as an ex-patriate, along with friends, in Quito, Ecuador. He eventually returned to Seattle, where many of his friends still reside, before moving to Florida, where he resided for the past few years with his sister and brother-in-law, Frank Altruda. There he came to love, and be loved by, his niece, Nancy, her husband Hugo, and great-nephew Eric, and spent many happy hours with them. Martin will be cremated in a private ceremony, and his ashes committed to the ocean he loved. A mass will be held at St. Thomas Acquinas Roman Catholic Church on Friday, September 1, 2017 at 11 a.m. NO FLOWERS, PLEASE. A fitting tribute to Martin, should anyone care to do so, would be a contribution to an environmental cause, especially those concerned with the protection and preservation of our oceans and coastal waters. Thank you. The church is located at 700 Brown Chapel Rd, St. Cloud, Florida 34769 The service will be in the chapel. A memorial gathering celebrating Martin's life will be held at the home of his sister, Carol Altruda on Sunday, September 10, 2017 beginning at 1 p.m.

Martin Joseph Rotondi

September 10, 1944 - August 21, 2017