Daily Sitka Sentinel

Dorothy Martin, Former Sitka Teacher, Dies at 87

Dorothy Martin

 

Former Sitkan resident Dorothy Martin, 87, passed away on March 30, 2021, in Aloha, Oregon.

She was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1933 and moved to Sitka in 1965 to begin her adventurous teaching career in logging camps for three years. She taught first through sixth grades in a one room school house. Dorothy also taught 16 years at Etolin Street School as a fifth-grade teacher where she was known for teaching students her infamous crafts of copper tooling pictures and wax stars for Christmas.

Dorothy’s life was filled with passion and adventure for her family as she packed up her five young kids and dog to travel on four different types of planes from Portland, Oregon, to arrive in Rodman Bay Logging Camp. This was her first time flying ever!  

Dorothy was constantly on the move playing tennis, volleyball, softball and painting.  She enjoyed giving tennis lessons to children and adults while living in Sitka. Dorothy retired in 1984, moving to Aloha, Oregon, where she was a substitute teacher. She then worked at a major Tennis Center, from which she retired at age 75. Dorothy continued to play tennis until her late 70’s and continued painting until she was 85.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband Galen Martin and son-in-law Michael McClelland. Dorothy’s legacy will live on through her six children Rick (Anne) Martin, Linda Martin Siegel, Karen McClelland, Debbie (Rick) Delmoral, and Christy (Michael) May. 

She is also survived by 16 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; two sisters, Nancy Johnson and Katie Young; and many nieces and nephews including Sitka’s Tammy (Gary) Perensovich. 

Dorothy was a very loving, giving and determined lady that made everyone she met feel important and cared for like she was their missing mother, grandparent, or friend, her family said.

 

‘‘We will miss her every day and will continue sharing all of the lessons and stories she passed on to us. We are truly blessed to have shared a loving and adventurous life with Dorothy. Please share your fondest memories on her Tribute page www.forevermissed.com/dorothyannmartin/about. Thank you for all the prayers. In lieu of flowers please make donations to her favorite charity to improve medical handoffs for cancer patients – STRIVE Inc at www.striveinc.org or American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org/involved/donate.’’