Michael Dalton Martell
November 16, 1992 – August 7, 2026
Michael Dalton “Mikey” Martell, 33, passed away on August 7, 2026, surrounded by the love of the family he treasured most.
Michael was born on November 16, 1992, at Gifford Hospital in Randolph, Vermont, to Rhonda Martell and the late Mike Martell. He graduated from Hartford High School and later worked at Copeland Furniture in the Rough Mill.
But the most important parts of Michael’s life cannot be summed up by where he went to school or where he worked. Michael’s story was, above all, a love story and a family story.
Michael met Tanya at Cosmic Bowling in White River Junction, and the two began dating during their senior year of high school. What began under the glow of bowling alley lights became a partnership that would carry them through adulthood, marriage, parenthood, laughter, challenges, and ultimately the hardest season imaginable.
Michael and Tanya married on August 24, 2013, at the Hartland Dam Pavilion. Michael often spoke of Tanya’s strength and positive mindset, qualities he deeply admired. He had spent much of his life thinking of himself as her protector and her rock, and one of the hardest parts of facing the end of his life was knowing he would no longer be physically here to fill that role.
Even then, Michael was still thinking ahead and still finding ways to take care of her. Before his death, he ordered some of Tanya’s favorite things, including books and puzzles, so that gifts from him would still be waiting for her when their wedding anniversary arrived. It was one more quiet act of love from a man trying to care for his wife beyond the time he had been given.
Michael’s proudest role was being Dad to his sons, Dalton and Matthew.
He loved family time in all its forms: watching shows together, playing mini golf, pool and air hockey, decorating for the holidays, and filling the house with more dad jokes than anyone probably requested. Halloween and Christmas were particular favorites, when Michael could fully embrace the fun of decorating and making memories with his family.
Michael wanted more than anything to be here to watch his boys grow up. He spoke openly about the heartbreak of knowing he would not be there for all of the milestones ahead and about his hope that Dalton and Matthew would grow into kind, good men. Michael and Tanya thoughtfully chose friends and family members whom they hope will continue showing up for their boys through birthdays, graduations, weddings, ordinary Tuesdays, and all the important moments in between.
To know Michael was also to know his sense of humor. He was always ready with a joke, often loud, sometimes boisterous, and rarely interested in letting a perfectly good opportunity for laughter pass him by. Even near the very end of his life, Michael was still joking. It was simply part of who he was. He could bring humor into the heaviest of rooms, reminding everyone around him that even in heartbreaking moments, there could still be room for laughter.
Michael is survived by his beloved wife, Tanya; his sons, Dalton and Matthew; his mother, Rhonda Martell; his brothers, Donald Martell and Jeremiah Martell; and the friends and extended family members who loved him and who have continued to surround the Martell family with care.
He was predeceased by his father, Mike Martell.
Michael’s life was far too short, but it was filled with the things that mattered most to him: loving Tanya, being Dad, laughing loudly, making memories, protecting the people he loved, and trying to make sure they would continue to be cared for even after he was gone.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes monetary gifts or gift cards for Tanya and the boys, offering practical support and care as they move through the days and months ahead.