MARTHA A BATES 90MARTHA A BATES DIED ON TUESDAY DEC 23RD AT THE HOLY TRINITY NURSING HOME OF WORCESTER. BORN IN WORCESTER, MARTHA GRADUATED CLASSICAL HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN WORCESTER STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE. MRS. BATES THEN PRECEDED WITH HER GRADUATE WORK AT CLARK UNIVERSITY. SHE TAUGHT IN THE WORCESTER SCHOOL SYSTEM FROM 1934-1948 AND THEN MOVED TO NEEDHAM AND TAUGHT FROM 1949-1964. SHE WAS ALSO A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER UNTIL INTO THE MID 1970S. SHE WAS AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER FOR THE TOWN OF NEEDHAM. SHE BELONGED TO THE ST. JOSEPH’S GUILD, A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE NEEDHAM ART ASSOC., THE NEEDHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FRIENDS OF THE ELDERLY OF NEEDHAM. BELOVED WIFE OF THE LATE THOMAS A BATES MARTHA IS SURVIVED BY HER BROTHER VINCENT ABDELLA OF GRAFTON AND FL. AND SEVERAL NIECES AND NEPHEWS. FUNERAL MASSWILL BE HELD AT ST. JOSEPH CHURCH OF NEEDHAM ON MONDAY DEC. 29 AT 10:00 AM. VISITING HOURS WILL BE PRIOR TO THE MASS FROM 8:30-9:45 PM. FROM THE EATON FUNERAL HOME 1351 HIGHLAND AVE. NEEDHAM. BURIAL AT ST. MARY’S CEMETERY. MEMORIALS MAY BE MADE IN MARTHA’S MEMORY TO THE NEEDHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 53 GLENDOON RD. NEEDHAM MA 02492