Iconic real estate agent Mike Martin was everyone's go-to guy - for finding a home, gauging the market, but also for sharing a smile, mending a heart, encouraging a dream. "I loved him, I want to tell you that,'' Denise Strother said. "I've cried and cried over that man. I want everybody in the world to know how wonderful he was.'' Martin, the No. 1 producer and Agent of the Year at ERA Strother Real Estate, died May 2 after a battle with cancer to which he steadfastly refused to defer. He was 59. He left behind a great many accolades: He was a finalist for a prestigious customer service award in 2011, was named broker-in-charge for the Southern Pines office of ERA Strother Real Estate and was an expert in most every aspect of the business. But for Mike Martin, it was always about more than appraised values, mortgage rates and location, location, location. "Mike was my rock,'' fellow agent Holly Hulse said. "He helped me through things most people wouldn't know where to start. He fit perfectly into my family. I have this huge void and I feel like something's missing from my life and I know it's him.'' Martin came to Fayetteville by way of Charleston, S.C., and built a foundation based on friendships and customer service. "He was just brilliant,'' Strother said. "He loved our country and the military and was so supportive of them. He gave so much of himself and his money that people would be shocked. And he did it secretively. "Nobody was quite like him,'' she said. "He had his own flair. He was always so well-read in the industry. He knew the heartbeat of our community.'' Caroline Amberger met Martin in 1995 and forged a strong friendship with him that endured beyond the miles. Amberger works for the State Department and lives in the Philippines. "Mike was a wonderful person,'' she said. "Strong, caring, smart, and a true friend. He encouraged me to follow my dreams to join the State Department and was always my biggest cheerleader.'' So it is that those who loved him will remember his quirky laugh, his affinity for Diet Sunkist and cookies and his love of life. He wasted very few minutes of the years he was given. Hulse remembers that Martin would text her at 6 a.m., good-naturedly ribbing her for still being asleep. He, on the other hand, insisted that he had already done loads of laundry and downed several cups of coffee. After all, he had a lot to get done. A lot of work. A lot of friendships. "I'm learning that he had amazing connections in each one of his friendships,'' Hulse said. "Mike made it that way. He made each person in his life feel special. He made you feel loved and welcomed. He would do anything for anybody and help you out. "I told him I loved him all the time,'' she said. "Those were the last words I said to him.'' The ERA Strother Real Estate family is planning a celebration of life service for Martin at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. The service is open to Martin's friends and fellow agents. Community news editor Kim Hasty can be reached at hastyk@fayobserver.com or 486-3591. The ERA Strother Real Estate family is planning a celebration of life service for Martin at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. The service is open to Martin's friends and fellow agents.