Martha Emily Valentine Hathaway, 79, of Newcastle, passed away quietly July 28 after a long and spirited battle with cancer at St. Andrews Hospital in Boothbay Harbor.
Born in Montclair, N.J., the daughter of the late Carleton and Ruth Valentine, she grew up in Glen Ridge, N.J. and, in 1949, graduated from Endicott Junior College in Beverly, Mass. In 1953, Martha married Roger Hathaway and they made their home in Glen Ridge, N.J. until settling in Newcastle year-round in 1987. On May 30, they celebrated 55 years of marriage.
Over the course of her career, Martha worked as a section manager at Hahne and Company, as a service representative at N.J. Bell Telephone, and as a secretary for the Glen Ridge Board of Education. She was a member of the Glen Ridge’s Women’s Club, Women’s Association, Red Cross, Historical Society and Congregational Church. In addition she co-managed the Glen Ridge Antique Show for 13 years. Martha and Roger enjoyed square dancing for 15 years as members of four clubs in New Jersey and Maine.
Upon moving to Maine, Martha became involved with many local groups and activities. She was a member of the Newcastle-Damariscotta Women’s Club, the Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association, the Damariscotta and Nobleboro Historical Societies, the Knit-Pickers, the Second Congregational Church, the Dinner Club, and the Old Bristol Garden Club of which she was a past president. The beautiful garden surrounding her home is a lasting reminder of her love for flowers and growing things.
She is survived by her husband, Roger, of Newcastle, and her brother-in-law Bruce Hathaway of Washington, D.C., many cousins across the U.S., and many friends in both Maine and New Jersey.
Memorial service 11 a.m., Wed., Aug. 13 at the Second Congregational Church in Newcastle. Interment will be in the Garden of Memory in Glen Ridge, N.J. at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, Martha requested that memorial gifts be used to establish a fund to acquire a handicapped accessible van for use by residents of the Lincoln Home. Gifts for the Martha Hathaway Memorial Fund may be sent to the Lincoln Home, 22 River Rd., Newcastle, ME 04553. http://www.lincoln-home.org/
