Eileen S. Martin, 93, of Huntsville, Ala., passed away peacefully on the evening of January 19, 2024.
Eileen was born in 1930 to Anglo-Irish immigrants in Bloomington, Ind. At an early age, Eileen inherited her sweet nature and love of reading from her mother. After completing her degree in English at Hanover College, Hanover, Ind., Eileen met and married Lyndon Martin (1927-2000), and they divided their time between Newark Valley, N.Y., and Huntsville, Ala., where Lyndon pursued a career with IBM during the space race. Ultimately, the Martins decided to retire and “escape the snow” by settling in Huntsville in 1982. Eileen devoted herself to her church community at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Huntsville, Ala., serving and leading the healing ministry and the altar guild, serving as a member of the vestry and The Order of the Daughters of the King, and teaching Sunday school. Throughout her life, Eileen was an active member of her community through her involvement with local organizations like Friends of the Library, The Huntsville-Madison County Library Foundation, Early Works, the Alabama Constitution Hall Park, the local chapter of the Phi Mu sorority, and Project DIAL (Designing Instruction for Academic Literacies). In addition to a fondness for reading, especially a good mystery, she was a writer and published author who was featured from time to time on the WLRH radio program, the Sundial Writer’s Corner. Eileen will be remembered for her gentle soul and for being a devout Christian who was passionate about treating others, including animals, with love, kindness, and respect.
Eileen is survived by her three children, Kathy (Lew), Conrad (Debbie), and Patrick (Nancy); six grandchildren, Nicholas (Blair), Brian (Jessica), Brittany (Edward), Kate, Eileen (Jeffrey), and Anne Grae; four great-grandchildren Brice, Chloey, Penelope, and Ames; and her beloved 18-year-old cat, Castor.
A memorial and internment service will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Huntsville, Ala., at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, 2024. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the following: The Greater Huntsville Humane Society; Ark, Inc.; The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library; or the Breast Cancer Foundation.
