Obituary: Martha McMakin

January 18, 1927 – January 10, 2021

Martha D. McMakin, resident of Lakewood, Colorado, died on January 10, 2021 in Lakewood at age 93 in the company of her family. She had received a diagnosis of hip and lung cancer just one month prior to her death. She was the wife of William W. (Mac) McMakin for 73 years.

Martha was born on January 18, 1927, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania to Francis H. and Elizabeth Goodhue Diament and happily raised in Wayne, Pennsylvania. She completed secretarial school in Washington, D.C. and briefly worked in Philadelphia. Later, she volunteered in the library in Greenlawn, New York and was a volunteer at Doylestown Hospital for over 30 years in Pennsylvania.

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Mac and Martha were married on April 23, 1947, at Radnor Friends Meeting in Pennsylvania. Initially, they lived in Amsterdam, Holland, then subsequently in Greenlawn, New York, Mill Valley, California, and Doylestown, Pennsylvania, before moving to Eagle, Colorado in 2006. They moved to Lakewood, Colorado, in 2020.

Just about everything interested Martha; from camping to knitting, and gardening to travel. She treasured people above all and relished their individual stories and shared experiences. Her friendships, new and old, and the evolving sagas of her family fed her and gave her great joy. She was endeared as a host. Despite questionable penmanship, she kept in touch with friends from afar with thoughtful cards and letters.

A friendship with Martha was genuine, fun, and lifelong. Her penchant for jokes and pranks left everyone with a favorite story or two. She was sentimental and that too was part of her life.

To her family, she is the glue that holds them together. The strength of her living example speaks volumes of steadfast values and a joyous embracing of life. She believed in an inner light and while she took some of it with her, she left much behind for all of us. She will be greatly missed, but we smile.

Martha is survived by her husband of 73 years, Mac McMakin; daughter Beth McMakin, and grandchildren Trent and Blair Ruder; son Doug McMakin and granddaughters Lindsay, Laura, and Carly, great-granddaughter Madison; and son Paul McMakin and his wife Sherry.

An in-person memorial celebration will be held when it is safe to travel and gather in a manner that she would have happily approved.

A memorial website for sharing memories, thoughts, and photos is available at https:// http://www.mykeeper.com/profile/marthamcmakin.

Memorial contributions may be made to: George Washington’s Mount Vernon, P.O. Box 110, Mount Vernon VA 22121, or Habitat for Humanity.