Martin James Cosenza (Marty) of Media, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, December 21st, 2022. His grateful children, to whom he devoted his life, were by his side.

Most will remember Marty through his auto repair garages, including the Exxon and then "Ex-Exon" he owned for forty-five years in Media's West End. His family will remember him as Dad and Pop-Pop.

The fiercest of hurricanes begin with a swirl of air, noticed only by God, and end as a warm rainstorm; so it was with Marty. Born in 1943 at Misericordia hospital in West Philadelphia, Marty's quick wit and fearless spirit made him a favorite of neighborhood friends. The trials and triumphs of younger days forged the fiercely driven man we all knew and loved and gave him an affinity for underdogs that he never shook.

Those fortunate to share this time with him knew a sparkling athlete who excelled at gymnastics and football, and enjoyed raucous times playing guitar and bass in a band with his brother. An athlete for most of his life, he wrestled and skied well into middle- age.

Marty set his childhood passions aside in 1968 when he met his match in Shirley Gelbach, who would become his wife of 49 years. The temper to his steel, Shirley channeled his passion for adventure into a fervor for family, turning the man on the move into a man with roots; tales of rollicking road trips turned to stories of love about his little ones.

Marty poured himself into his wife and three children — Martin, Albert, and JoAnna —s elflessly sacrificing to give them opportunities about which he'd never dreamed. He filled their Blacksmith Lane home with love and caring for both his family and an endless parade of rescue animals and pets. It mattered not if they had fins, fur, or feathers; all were welcome. His final feline rescue, Meatball, was his constant companion for nearly two decades, ever at his side as he watched his children and grandchildren grow.

Marty's broad smile was long a fixture in Media, beaming from his shop window on Baltimore Pike. He welcomed the world into a business of which he was immensely proud as he had started in life with nothing. Rare was the day that didn't find him behind his desk deep in conversation with his customers and friends. While his business addressed automotive woes, Marty's true trade was in humanity: he built bridges, preached prolifically, and helped any hand he could reach.

Marty spent winters chasing his kids down the slopes at Doe Mountain and Montage. He spent his summers picnicking, fishing, boating, and welcoming friends to his house in Rock Hall — a house that Marty and his friends built with their own hands. That house on the edge of the Chesapeake Bay remains as solid as the man who built it.

Marty believed that family is paramount in life, and he was rewarded greatly: his six grandchildren, Martin James Cosenza III (James), Ashley, Francesca, Johnny, Natalie, and Giada were always at his side. He spent his retirement surrounded by children blessed by a world he had created, and he passed content that he was loved just as much as he had loved.

Marty died at mid-day on the first day of winter, his light extinguished just as the shortest day began to wane. Those who survive him — his son Martin James Cosenza, II, and his wife Stefanie; his son Albert Cosenza and his wife Grace; his daughter JoAnna Laskas and her husband John; his grandchildren; his brother Andrew and his family — are blessed with the knowledge that, just as Marty's light dimmed on December 21st, each new day will be brighter thanks to the selfless love he showed us all for seventy-nine years.

Marty is now reunited with his wife Shirley in eternal rest and will be buried next to her at 11:30 am on January 13th, 2023 at Cumberland Cemetery, in a resting place within sight of the family's Media home of almost half a Century. A luncheon will follow at the Concordville Inn. In lieu of flowers, please keep Marty in your heart, remembering him as a loving, kind, and caring friend and father. www.martycosenza.com .

Funeral arrangements entrusted to The Oliver H. Bair Funeral Home (610) 449-8585