Martin Todd Devine, 59, of Owensboro, passed away Sunday, May 23, 2021 at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. He was born December 1, 1961 in Daviess County to Sammie Dean and Betty Joyce Gossett Devine. Todd married his high school sweetheart, Annette Knott, and together they had three sons, Franky, Jaymes and Billy. He retired as manager from AutoZone on Parrish Avenue. Todd attended Owensboro High School before entering the U.S. Army in 1980 where he was a radio teletype operator. After leaving the Army he began working at Parrish & Bosley Gulf where he learned to work as a mechanic. The owner, Richard Hill, had race cars at Parrish & Bosley, and that is where he found his love of racing and could be found in the pits of the local race tracks tinkering on something. As his boys grew older, they wanted to run at the drag strip so he built “Nana’s Nightmare” and began their quest as drag racers! He loved every minute of the time spent with his boys on and off the track! The preparation all week long and running just one or two passes, well that was just racing on the strip!
He was preceded in death by a son, Franklyn Todd Devine; mother, Betty Gossett Devine; brother, James Devine; and father-in-law, Don Knott.
Those left to cherish his memories are his loving and devoted wife of 40 years, Annette Knott Devine; two surviving sons, Jaymes Devine (Heather Crowe) of Owensboro and Billy Devine (Amanda Mason); grandson, Xavier Michael all of Henderson and baby Devine coming this winter; father, Sammie Dean Devine; brothers, Tony Gossett (Heather), Scott Devine (Lisa) and Jimmy Devine (Misty), all of Owensboro; sisters, Sissy Hill (Tim) of Owensboro, Tammy Varney (Chris) of Benton Harbor and Krystal Kirkendoll of Louisville; brother-in-law, Donnie Knott, Jr.; uncle, Chip Gossett (Linda) of Owensboro; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the chapel at James H. Davis Funeral Home & Crematory with military honors. Visitation is from 1 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Graveside service will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Poplar Grove Cemetery in Rumsey, KY.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.