Martin Waters, 1917?—2011

Along with his brother-in-law and best friend, Norman “Buddy” Packer, and director Sally Buckstone, Martin Waters founded what was then called the Gilbert & Sullivan Workshop of Long Island in 1954.  He had fallen in love with the Savoy operas while stationed in England during World War II, and returned home intent on finding a way to perform them in his native land.

In the early years of the company, “Marty” Waters was its primary patter man, earning a devoted following through his portrayals of Ko-Ko, Sir Joseph Porter, the Learned Judge and especially Major-General Stanley, the role with which he was most identified.  He continued to play these and other roles into the 1980s, making his last appearance with what was by then the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island as Major-General Stanley in 1985.

In the late 1980s Waters moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to be closer to his adult children.  Until his death in 2011, he continued to find occasional opportunities to sing Gilbert & Sullivan, and followed the company he had co-founded from afar, sending a special greeting for its 50^th-anniversary celebration in 2004.

The hallmarks of a Marty Waters performance were always the same: immaculate preparation, strict professionalism onstage and off, and a vigorous style that made his 100^th performance of a part as vital and dynamic as his first.  It has been almost 30 years since he performed with our company, but his influence remains in the performances of dozens of younger members who embraced his example and the operas he loved.  By them and by audiences throughout Long Island, he is and always will be missed.