FALMOUTH – Catherine F. Martin, 94, of Portland and Falmouth passed away peacefully at home with her family surrounding her in prayer and love.

Catherine was born in Portland, Maine on Jan. 2, 1930, to Edmund J. and Julia E. (Phillippe) Feeney and grew up on Hammond St and spent summers on Peaks Island.

She attended Cathedral Grammar School and graduated from Portland High School in 1947.

In 1950, she married John H. “Red” Martin and raised their seven children together in East Deering. When the children were young, Red and Kay were very active in Presumpscot PTA Variety Shows and Portland Little League. Red and Kay never missed a Thanksgiving Day game since the 1940’s.

Throughout the years she volunteered at Preble Street Soup Kitchen, Bruce Roberts, Merrill Auditorium, and the PHS Boosters Club for many years.

A member and secretary of the Irish American Club for many years, she was named “Irish Person of the Year” in 2005. She also served as president of the Holy-Martyrs’ Bowling League.

Once the children were in school, she re-entered the workforce as an educator at Reed, Lyseth, and Riverton elementary schools and then PRVTC, retiring in 1995. She continued to luncheon with the Riverton School teachers’ group monthly up until her passing.

Her distinguished life included many awards and recognitions including Portland Superintendents Award, Manufacturers Assoc. Of Me. Volunteer of the Year and The Friends of PHS Football Award Hall of Fame.

She loved to travel and visited across the U.S. and Europe (Czechoslovakia, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Poland, France, Spain, Italy) Central America and Hawaii. Her favorite destination was Ireland where she visited nine times with family and friends.

She summered at the Little Sebago Lake “Camp” in Windham for over 55 years where family gathered, especially on Sundays, for cookouts, backgammon tournaments, birthdays, and celebrations. She was crowned cribbage and backgammon “Camp Champ”, an honor and bragging rights she held for years! She loved golfing and alpine skiing and continued until she was 89 years old.

Catherine was predeceased by her husband John “Red” Martin, her mother and father, her brothers John and Robert Feeney. She is survived by brother Donald (Claire) Feeney, her children Julie (Tom Caiazzo), Stephen (Laurie), Kevin (Jayne), Lisa, Richard, Katie, and Michelle Martin. Her grandchildren Concetta, Thomas, Renee, Rachel, Shannon, Johnathon, Joseph, Jessica, Stephen John, Brent, Nicholas, Brody and Julia as well as 22 great-grandchildren.

We’d like to thank the staff at Northern Light In-Home Hospice for their exceptional care:-Addy, Kathy, Angela, Kevin, and Cheryl.

We could not have done this beautiful crossing over of our mother without the gift of caring from her granddaughter Renee McPherson, RN, of Windham.

Visiting hours will be held from 4-8 p.m., on Monday January 8, at A.T. Hutchins, 660 Brighton Ave, Portland. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m., on Tuesday, January 9, at St Pius Church, 492 Ocean Ave., Portland.

To share memories of Catherine or to leave the family an online condolence, please visit http://www.athutchins.com.



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