Mississippi State University lost a treasured student with an unforgettable smile on March 3.
Zachary Neal Martin, of Saltillo, was 24 years old when he lost control of his truck and hit a tree while coming home from Tennessee on Saturday night.
Suzan Martin, Zack’s mother, said he was planning to spend the night with a friend, and at the last minute he decided to return home instead.
“He was near Selmer, on a road he’d never been on before,” Suzan said.  “He got turned around and lost control going over some railroad tracks.”
The wreck was a one-vehicle accident, and no one else was injured.
Zack was a senior agribusiness major set to graduate in December of 2012.
Walter Martin, Zack’s father, said he was doing well in his studies this year, which he attributed to his passion for the outdoors.  But the outdoors was just one of Zack’s many different passions.
“He loved hunting and fishing and the outdoors,” Walter said.  “He was also very artistic.  He loved art, art galleries and music. He also loved working out at the Sanderson Center at MSU.”
This year at MSU, Zack lived in an apartment with his sister, Jessica Martin, a senior biological sciences major. 
Jessica said Zack and she were very close, and she could always count on him for anything she needed.
“I could talk to him about everything. He took secrets about me to his grave,” Jessica said. “He was always there to help. Zack helped anyone with anything.”
Zack was also close with his other sister, Elizabeth Martin, a sophomore at Itawamba Community College.
Elizabeth said Zack was the best mixture of a playful and caring brother.
“He kept us on our toes.  You never knew what was going to happen with him,” Elizabeth said.  “He would randomly come up and jump in my bed when I’m dead asleep just to scare me, or I’d be standing around, and he’d push me in the pool.  He was very mischievous like that.”
He also knew when to protect his sisters.
“He was very protective of our feelings, and he wanted us to always tell him our problems, so he could help us cope with them,” she said.  “He was also protective about our friends and boyfriends, always wanting us to associate with the right people.”
Suzan said Zack was always dependable like that.
“He had a heart of gold. He’d do anything for you within his reach,” she said. “He’d give you the shirt right off his back, and he always had the biggest smile on his face.”
Zack was so happy to help others that he donated a lot of his time to Wood, Wheels & Water Outdoors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to taking terminally ill and physically challenged people on hunting and fishing trips.
Chris Patton, the founder of WWWO and Zack’s uncle, said everyone who took part loved him.
“It was the smile that kid had that really lit up other people,” he said.  “He was just a joy to be around.”
Patton said he remembered a veteran who came on one of their trips that Zack made feel right at home.
“The guy was so excited just to have someone to talk to, so Zack stayed up all night talking to him,” he said. “I had to tell them to go to bed.  Zack didn’t have to do that; he was just that kind of guy.”
Patton said he has started a scholarship fund in Zack’s name that his brothers in the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity are helping with.
Zack gained lots of friendships through his membership of AGR, and Jessica said his time spent there was very important to him.
“Those boys were inseparable. They were a part of our family like we were a part of theirs,” she said. “Anytime they were in trouble, he’d help them out and vice versa.”
Paul Siegel, a senior wildlife science major and fellow member of AGR, said he and Zack quickly went from friends to family.
“I’ve known the boy for just about five years.  We grew together since freshman year in college,” he said.  “There’s so many things I miss about him. I’ll miss my brother; I’ll miss my best friend.”
Paul said it was Zack’s personality that would make him unforgettable to his friends.
“The biggest thing I remember about him is his goofy smile,” he said.  “He made an impact on all of us.  If you knew Zack, that changed your life.”