Marcia L. Martin

Marcia Leah (McGlamery) Martin of Winter Haven passed away on April 30th at the age of 82. She was a cherished grandmother and great-grandmother. Though she never had biological children, her husband, Julius “Jay" Martin, already had three when they married in the mid-80’s. The Martin family was blessed with the addition of a kind, compassionate, clever woman with steel in her spine and Cape Cod in her soul. Originally from Massachusetts, and always a New Englander at heart, she loved to go back to "The Cape” and visit friends whenever she could.

Marcia loved a good adventure and proved time and again that age was just a number. She traveled across the US and Europe, and in her retirement she and her lifelong friend Barbara refused to slow down. They visited the Grand Canyon, the Canadian Rockies, toured the California Wine Country by train, and went hiking on a glacier. Closer to home, she loved to visit Tarpon Springs and St. Augustine.

A lifelong caretaker, she worked to help her family from a young age. She put herself through nursing school, and went on to have a successful career as an RN and later as a hospital ward manager. She retired from Winter Haven Hospital in 2008. 

Retirement may take a nurse out of the hospital, but it can't take caregiving out of their blood. Even after retirement, Marcia spent considerable time and effort volunteering through St Matthew Catholic Church, and taking care of family and friends whenever the need arose. 

She knitted beautiful afghans for family, friends, and anyone who needed a bit of comfort. The recipients may not have known her name, but hundreds of people in the Winter Haven area have received a blanket from her over the years- to celebrate the birth of a baby, to bring comfort when sick, or to ward off the chill in hospice. Her home is a treasure trove of knitting patterns, yarn, and notebooks where she meticulously tracked each stitch.

Marcia exemplified the fact that “family" means so much more than blood. Those of us that survive her understand that family, in all the ways that matter, can be defined by the hearts and minds that we touch while we're here, the unconditional love that we give, and how we're remembered when we're gone. 

Grandma Marcia is sorely missed. 

She is predeceased by her brother, William “Bill" McGlamery of Arizona, her husband Julius “Jay" Martin, her stepdaughters Joan Olsen and Kathryn Martin, and her grandson Michael Martin. She is survived by her stepson Andrew Martin, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Marcia loved all of God's creatures, but especially dogs. She was known for going about her neighborhood with a pocket full of milkbones, and made friends with all the nearby dogs by passing treats right through her neighbor's fences. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in her name to Crossed Paws Pet Rescue of Winter Haven. 

Marcia’s funeral mass will be held at St. Matthew Catholic Church (1991 Overlook Dr. Winter Haven) on Wednesday, May 14th, at 9:00 am.