Kathy Martin passed away at the McClure-Miller Respite House in Colchester, Vermont, on September 11, 2026, at age 74.  She was born Mary Kathleen Martin in Anaconda, Montana, to Jack Martin and Alice Jo Donavan Martin. 

Kathy asked the family to publish the following in lieu of an obituary:

I am preceded in death by my parents, my sister Patricia, and my beautiful niece Sarah. 

I am survived by my daughters Jennifer and Bridget, and by my granddaughter Andy. I am also survived by siblings Pam Baylor (Montana), Terri Casillas (Texas), Chris Ruffatto (Montana) Peggy Kaan (South Dakota), John Martin (Montana), Tom Martin (Texas), Melody Sanders (Montana), and Bernie Martin (Washington), and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Some of my siblings were wonderful and warm and loving, and others not so much. My sisters Pam, Melody, and Chris, and my cousin Jeannie, offered endless support and quiet love. 

I am also survived by a gaggle of nieces and nephews—too many to name, but my favorite of them is Amanda. In her teens she lived with us for a while and became my third daughter.

My daughters Jennifer and Bridget and my granddaughter Andy brought joy to my life every day. Jennifer is an intelligent, hard-working, and beautiful person. She is a loving mother to my granddaughter Andy, a wonderful young person with so much to offer the world. Bridget’s greatest features are her intellect, her sense of humor, and her loving heart. I love you, my sweet peas.

My friend Dan Jensen was in my life for over 50 years, and even my mother noted that he was a better brother to me than my own brothers were. He gave me the comfort I desperately needed during many difficult times. There were others who made me laugh and taught me much over the years, including colleagues like Mary Dalton and Connie Courts, who were my favorite kind of people to work with: smart, pushy broads!

I know that I was wired differently. I blurted out inappropriate comments at inopportune times. I preferred people to be direct because I just could not read between the lines. I tried, but I could not master that skill. My awkwardness put some people off. If they took a moment to get past it, maybe they could have understood me better. I lost relationships with people who wouldn’t take the time.

I enjoyed trivia games because facts would get stuck in my brain and I could usually find them when I wanted to. It made me very happy to play games with friends and family. 

I feel my life was generally a success. We all deal with ups and downs, and I did the best I could to balance those out. Mostly I’m proud of my two wonderful girls and my granddaughter. I am also proud of my professional achievements.

My advice is to stop and listen, and to try to hear one another. We all deserve a minute to connect.