Morgan Hill publisher and writer Martin Cheek died this week at the age of 57, according to his business partner, Robert Airoldi.
Cheek co-founded the bi-weekly community publication Morgan Hill Life in early 2013 and published it for more than 11 years.
Prior to that, he wrote for the Gilroy Dispatch, the Morgan Hill Times and the Los Gatos Weekly-Times.
Cheek was born in Hollister and graduated from Palma High School in Salinas in 1985. He attended Gavilan College, where he was the student paper’s managing editor, then its associate editor. After graduating from Gavilan, Cheek attended San Jose State University, graduating in 1990 with a journalism degree.
Cheek took leave as a writer for the Morgan Hill Times and Gilroy Dispatch to run for Morgan Hill Unified school board in 2012. He also trained to become a Gilroy peace officer.
He teamed with Robert Airoldi, previously with the Gilroy Dispatch, to launch Life Media Group in 2013, which published Morgan Hill Life and later Gilroy Life.
Cheek co-authored “Clean Energy Nation: Freeing America From the Tyranny of Fossil Fuels,” a guide book to Silicon Valley and “The Path to Peace: A Vision-2020 Plan to Unite Humanity.”
Two years ago, Cheek told the Morgan Hill Times he had a plan to achieve global peace by Christmas Day in 2040. “It’s ambitious, it’s audacious, it’s also 100% doable,” he said.
Cheek said he was inspired in that quest by his mother Gisela, a Berlin-born teacher who had spent her childhood in the German city.
Truly a good person
RIP Marty
So sorry to hear of Marty’s passing. He truly loved this community and was a proponent for local business.
I’m shocked that Marty has passed, condolences to his family. Last saw him on the tour with the museum tour of Gilroy. A great writer and good man and a big loss to society.