POTSDAM — The widow of a late well-known business owner recently donated $5,000 worth of brand new auto parts to the BOCES Automotive classes for direct instruction.

Paula Martin, widow of Leon Martin and owner of Martin’s Garage for over 50 years, donated more than 50 brand-new starters in the boxes.

BOCES teachers and students were thrilled they could conduct labs with an entire class and tear the starter apart from start to finish, Mrs. Martin said.

Leon Martin participated with the BOCES programs for years.

“He worked with students that required job coaching services, he hired a few of the students after they graduated from the program,” Belinda Martin said. She is the daughter of Paula and Leon.

Mike Ells was raised by a single mother and he was told by his grandmother when he left home, “you can only go to two places, Murphy’s Garage or Martin’s Garage,” Mrs. Martin said. Murphy’s closed earlier, Ells stopped there first, then he went to Martin’s.

“Leon always taught him something new every night,” she said. “I was also told Ells thought of Leon like a father figure, he always helped him out, but he would yell at him too if he needed to be yelled at.”

Paula watched many items leave Martin's property, as did her daughter Belinda, who is a teacher at St. Lawrence Central.

“It was amazing to see Mr. Ells and Mr. Denny get so excited and discuss with Aaron what they were going to do with all of these car parts,” he said. “The entire time, these two men were quizzing Aaron and asking him questions and checking his car knowledge. Just as my Dad would have done with Ells back in the day.”

Martin told the teachers that Leon would be “very proud.”