Dinner held in honor of former astronaut John Glenn

Orange Coast hostess Twyla Martin joined her husband, Charles, in

presiding over an elegant summer dinner in honor of American pioneer

John Glenn and his wife, Annie. An intimate dinner party at the

Martins’ Laguna Beach estate introduced local guests to the

distinguished retired senator from Ohio, who was one of the seven

NASA Mercury astronauts.

Glenn made history in 1962 as the first American to orbit the

earth.

Glenn and his wife, Annie, to whom he has been wed for 59 years,

are the parents of two grown children, Dave and Lyn, and the

grandparents of two as well. They came to the Orange Coast to promote

a local association with Ohio State University, which in 1998

established the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public

Policy.

The Martins are prominent movers and shakers in Newport-Mesa,

serving on the board of the Orange County Museum of Art and also on

the board of the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Attending the Martin dinner was Roger Johnson. Sen. Glenn oversaw

the confirmation hearings on Johnson when he was appointed by former

President Bill Clinton as the head of the General Services

Administration.

Also in the crowd was Newport Beach’s Dick Bertea, who shared

aviation tales with Glenn. Bertea, a prominent local leader in the

national aerospace industry, swapped stories of flying the Corsair

fighter, a favorite of Marine Corps pilots of mid-20th century

service. Glenn first served his country as a Marine in 1943 during

World War II. Then in 1954, he became a test pilot, and served in the

Korean War before embarking on his career as an astronaut.

The Martins commissioned Adam Navidi of Costa Mesa to cater a

Tuscan-style dinner al fresco. “He’s one of the great young culinary

stars,” offered Twyla Martin, accepting raves over the cuisine from

guests, who included Kitty and Mike Kourie, Winnie and Bob Smith,

Karen Bell, Bill Fillmore, Kathy Chase, Beth Gentner, and Pam and

Barry Lathan.

After dinner, Glenn held court with the crowd, discussing Ohio

State and the John Glenn Institute. Host Charles Martin shared the

ironic coincidence that their oceanfront property was the former home

of pioneer aviator Pancho Barnes in the 1920s and ‘30s, before she

moved to Edwards Air Force base.

Another star of the evening was Annie Glenn, charming the crowd

with her warmth and sincerity. As an adjunct assistant professor of

speech and hearing science at Ohio State, Annie, who also serves on

her husband’s board of directors for the institute, has made a

lifelong commitment to community service. Her emphasis has been in

areas relating to children, the elderly and the handicapped. In 1987,

the National Assn. for Hearing and Speech Action honored Annie Glenn

by creating the Annie Glenn Award, which has been presented annually

on a national level to individuals who achieve distinction despite a

communication disorder.

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