Martin DeHaan

Martin Holden DeHaan, 85, a resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 2, 2021. Martin was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan on May 13, 1936 to Kathleen Holden and William DeHaan. Marty often spoke of the work ethic he learned as a child, working in his Grandpa Holden’s store, and playing pranks on his younger brother, Jon, and his older brother, Bill. He was an All-American Swimmer, and swam for a year at Michigan State. After tiring of leaving swim practice with frozen hair, he transferred to The College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Marty enjoyed his time at Willam and Mary, where he met many life long friends, and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. After graduating with a B.S. in Economics, Marty spent time in San Francisco, driving a cab, and as a sales representative for Xerox. Later, Marty began his career in commercial real estate, employed by Texaco, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He moved to Virginia Beach in the late 1950s, where he met Joan Lee Williams, at a Halloween party at the Virginia Beach Dome. Joan and Marty married on April 14, 1960, and divorced in 1986. Marty worked for Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate, in Norfolk, Virginia, where Mr. Lindsay taught him valuable lessons that he utilized up until the time of his death. In the 1970s, Marty founded Creative Inns, and was recognized with numerous awards, and later, Creative Equities, which held commercial real estate in Virginia Beach, and Scottsdale, AZ. Martin was preceded in death by his son, Richard Holden DeHaan, and his older brother, William Holden DeHaan. He is survived by his daughter, Kathleen DeHaan Renfro, granddaughter, Taylor Shell Renfro, younger brother, Jon Holden DeHaan, Nephews; William DeHaan Jr., Mark DeHaan, Tom DeHaan, Keith DeHaan, Timothy DeHaan, and Nieces; Cheryl DeHaan Perdue, and Kirsten DeHaan.