Virginia Eva (Holley) Martin, 83, of Portsmouth, NH formerly of Medway, MA and Pittsburgh, PA, traveled to her heavenly home on Wednesday, November 16, 2016. She was the wife of the late Andrew J. Martin who died in 1997.Born on July 31, 1933 in Pittsburgh, PA she was the daughter of the late John and Eva (Diskevich) Holley.
Virginia met her husband Andrew while she was working at U.S. Steel in Braddock, PA. Andrew worked as a Management Trainee during summer break from his studies as an Electrical Engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh. In later years she worked as his office assistant in his consulting firm, Martin Consulting Services in Medway, MA.
After marriage Virginia was active in various church programs, helping with religious education classes, assisting her husband with parish youth activities, and also served as a Eucharistic Minister for 10 years. She was an avid gardener, decorator, seamstress and baker for church bake sales. She especially enjoyed the New England fall season and the advent of raking leaves. In speaking with her sons on the phone Monday evening she proudly told them she spent the afternoon raking the leaves around her beloved carriage home just four doors up from her daughter’s home. And what for many was a chore, she looked forward to doing the weekly laundry and ironing for her daughter and grandkids. Her foremost interest was the welfare of her family, providing them a moral compass of gratitude, humility and faith in our Lord. She attended Mass every day and always walked out the door perfectly coiffed with a hint of lipstick. We loved her thumbprint cookies and nut rolls and expect her granddaughters to continue the holiday tradition with grandma’s recipes. The family will gather together this Thanksgiving holiday to toast and celebrate our beloved and kindest mum!
She is survived by her children, Andrea Lefebvre and her husband Timothy of Portsmouth, NH, Matthew Martin of Portsmouth, NH and David Martin and his wife Kerri of Hopedale, MA. She is also survived by her grandchildren Tyler and Rachael Lefebvre of Portsmouth, NH and Meghan and Kelly Martin of Hopedale, MA. She is also survived by her nephew Martin Barron and his wife Anita and their son Benjamin of Penn Hills, PA.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Jeanne Barron of Pittsburgh, PA and her brothers, John of White Oak, PA and David Holley of Pittsburgh, PA.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend her calling hours on Saturday, November 19 from 9:00 – 10:30AM in the Ginley-Crowley Funeral Home, (www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com) 3 Barber Street, Medway.
A Mass of Christian Burial will follow in St. Joseph Church, 151 Village Street, Medway at 11:00AM.
Interment will be in St. Joseph Cemetery in Medway.
In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made in her name to St. Joseph Church, P.O. Box 557, Medway, MA 02053