For Marty Kapp, sharing his love and knowledge of sailing was more than a vocation. It was a dream come true. As a small child in Newton, MA he dreamed of pirates and far away adventures!
His first adventure brought him to Canton, New York, where the family relocated for his father’s ministry. His younger brother, Chris was born there and his parents, Max and Dorothy, decided to put down roots in the small college town.
The household was both traditional and atypical. Max was a minister. As a scholar and man of faith, he was generous: worked hard, studied long, taught, and helped those that needed a hand. The only thing he would not, or could not share were his feelings.
Dorothy, on the other hand, was a homemaker. She possessed ambition, but it was set aside, in deference to her husband, children and faith. However, she had no difficulty expressing her passions. She especially loved politics and at one point served as the President of the New York Women’s League of Voters.
The advanced role his mother took taught Marty to respect the intelligence and contributions of all people. Marty attended Canton High School and graduated from St. Lawrence University with a degree in Psychology.
Marty returned to Massachusetts, married with three lovely daughters Vickie, Wendy and Kristie. Marty tried a few different roles, still torn between expectations to pursue scholarly endeavors and his passion for sailing and the water.
When his marriage of thirteen years ended, Marty and his girls were able to maintain a strong bond by spending weekends together sailing and having fun. For many years, Marty taught history and geography to seventh and eighth graders. “He was a great teacher,” said his daughter Wendy. “Even now, I still run into people that remember and love him.
When asked to describe her dad, she did not hesitate, “He is compassionate, open minded and funny.” Wendy said she did not have just one great memory growing up with her father, but rather a compilation of a great memories, she and Marty laughed and remembered getting up at 5 A.M. “We had so much fun sailing. He taught us how to make repairs. One time we even dyed a sailcloth red.” Laughing again, she asked Marty, “Remember the Red Baron?”
The Red Baron sounds a little like a name for a pirate ship. In fact, Marty had a boat that he named, “The Pirate.” It was in this boat he was able to realize another dream he had for years: to sail by himself to Nantucket all by himself.
After teaching, Marty accepted a position with the Barnstable Yacht Club, teaching people how to sail. After a traveling sabbatical, Marty accepted a position as a substance abuse counselor in Barnstable. While attending training for this new position, he met his future wife, Janice who had three wonderful children of her own. The union was happy and lasted forty-six years until Janice passed away in 2021.
Marty describes himself as a very accepting person, a fountain of good wishes, and an encourager. He is a father, grandfather, teacher, and sailor. If you encounter Marty around Decatur House, look for him to be a great friend too.
