Ask Dr. William Martens, Wisconsin ’59, what he hopes others say about his life, and his answer is simple: “Honest and open and willing to help and willing to share.”

At 89, Martens has spent decades putting those qualities into practice — caring for patients, supporting his family and speaking openly about challenges in the hope that his experiences might help someone else.

Friendships That Last

His Wisconsin Beta story began with an invitation from two high school friends who had joined SigEp. Like Martens, both were pursuing medicine. He found a chapter where friendship and academic ambition went hand in hand, living in the house during his sophomore and junior years before entering medical school after three years of undergraduate study.

The lessons stayed with him: value friendship, act with honesty and integrity, and do your best under whatever circumstances arise. Some friendships revealed their lasting importance years later, when brothers reached out with a phone call or Christmas card.

“I guess I didn’t appreciate the long-term friendships that were developed,” he said.

A Lifetime of Service

After medical school, Martens joined the Army Medical Corps, following his father’s example as a military physician. Two and a half years in France gave him practical experience and confidence. Back in the United States, he completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology while continuing his military service in the reserves.

For the next 43 years, he helped mothers deliver babies and performed gynecologic surgery, building a distinguished career that extended into hospital leadership and medical education. He chaired departments at several hospitals, served as chief of staff at West Allis Memorial Hospital and became a clinical associate professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Each role brought a different opportunity to serve: caring for patients, guiding fellow physicians and helping educate the next generation. Together, they represent a lifetime of achievement and responsibility — a career whose impact reached families, colleagues, students and the institutions entrusted to his leadership.

For Martens, that career grew from a willingness to step forward.

“I simply volunteered to help, and eventually they asked me to chair the departments,” he said. “So I did.”

Behind his understated reflection is a remarkable record of earning others’ trust and accepting the responsibility that came with it.

Strength Through Life’s Challenges

But when Martens talks about success, he also talks about what he helped others accomplish. He put three children through college, watched his daughter pursue medicine and helped his daughter-in-law earn her doctorate.

He is equally proud of a personal milestone: 36 years without alcohol after entering a treatment program. Martens readily shares that part of his story, including the encouragement he received when he decided to stop drinking.

“I’ve had nothing but positive experiences saying that I don’t drink anymore,” he said.

Through recovery, physical injuries and caring for his wife during the final 10 years of her life, Martens has continued to draw on his faith and the values reinforced during college. He finds joy in small things and in helping family members move forward. After being widowed, he welcomed grandchildren into his home; they, in turn, have helped him through a recent illness.

Still Willing to Share

That same willingness to share keeps him interested in Wisconsin Beta. He appreciates chapter updates and invitations, and he sees a purpose in staying connected: helping younger brothers learn from the experiences of those who came before them.

“Maybe somebody’s going through some of the same experiences I went through,” he said. “I can just say, here’s what happened to me.”

His advice to today’s brothers reflects the approach that has carried him through his own life:

“Just take one step at a time to achieve what you want to do in life.”

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Beta’s SigEp Badger Beat newsletter, produced through SigEp’s Alumni Communications Program.