William C. Martino lived in his own time zone. “There was real time and there was `turtle’ time,” said his son, William Jr. Mr. Martino, nicknamed “The Turtle” for his perpetual tardiness, “controlled time because he did not let time control him,” said his son. Mr. Martino, 63, died of heart failure Sunday, Nov. 23, at his home in Lake Alfred, Fla. Born and raised in Chicago, Mr. Martino married in 1962. Following in his father’s footsteps, he became a mortician and started Chicago Suburban Mortician Services in the late 1960s, selling it in the mid-’70s. He remained a funeral director until 1979. After his children decided not to continue the family business, the family relocated to Kissimmee, Fla., in 1979 and Mr. Martino opened Billy the Kid, a family-style restaurant. In 1988, Mr. Martino sold the restaurant and started Lakeland Interstate Speedway, now the USA International Speedway, with his son. In 1990, Mr. Martino took over the Auburndale Speedway, retiring in 2000. He was a stern but loving father who instilled in his children a hard work ethic. An unabashed practical joker, he enjoyed making people laugh. Other survivors include his daughter, Julie Smith; a sister, Janet Martino; and two grandchildren. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the chapel at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, 1400 S. Wolf Rd, Hillside.
