March 23 2019: DOWD, Martin M.

 Martin M. Dowd

On March 2, 2019, Martin M. Dowd passed away due to complications from the flu. He was 81. Dowd was born on April 18, 1937. He was the second of five children born to Michael and Peggy Dowd. He attended Nativity grade school on Georgia Avenue, Mackin Catholic High School, and the Catholic University of America (CUA). At CUA, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1960 with a concentration in Art; he played on the varsity tennis team for four years (two as captain); and he was the sports editor for the student newspaper. Upon graduating from college, Dowd served in the United States Coast Guard and then went to work as a medical illustrator at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, located on the campus of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest Washington, DC. After 42 years of civil service, he retired from the federal government in 2003. Contemporaneous with his full-time employment, he coached the Catholic University Men’s Tennis Team on a part-time contract for 52 years accumulating 521 victories. He was twice named Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) Coach of the Year in 1994 and 2000 and still ranks third among all-time mens tennis coaches in the CAC with 114 wins and a .666 winning percentage (114-57). Dowd coached over 500 student-athletes at CUA, including 56 all-conference selections, (32 in the CAC and 24 in the Landmark Conference). In 2014, he was elected to the CUA Athletic Hall of Fame, and the following year, the University named the tennis courts after him and his wife to recognize the significant impact that both Marty and Jone had on the men’s and women’s tennis programs at Catholic. Dowd retired as the men’s tennis coach at Catholic following the 2014-15 season after 44 winning seasons and a career record of 562-374 (.600). He remains the longest-tenured head coach in the history of CUA athletics and owns the second-most wins. While at CUA, Martin met his wife, Jone Rastas. They were married in 1965 and had four children, Dana, Jennifer, Michael and Tara, and all three daughters played on the CUA women’s tennis team; Michael received a scholarship to play men’s tennis at Division I George Washington. Of Dowd’s passing, CUA Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Sean Sullivan said the following: “Marty was perhaps appreciated for more than simply being a tremendous coach. His kindness, warmth, gentle spirit, love of his family and deep commitment to the humane growth of his student-athletes, made him unique, especially in this increasingly demanding world of competitive athletics. His heart was always in the right place. I can unequivocally say that I personally came away from any interaction with Marty, feeling better, feeling happier. And I imagine he did this for so many others as well.” Dowd is survived by his wife, Jone, children Dana, Jennifer, Michael and Tara, grandchildren Anthony, Anna, Kasey, Margaret, and Devin; and siblings Kevin, Margaret, and Maureen. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, at 10:30AM at the Church of the Resurrection, Burtonsville, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Tennis Team Programs at the Catholic University of America.