Judith “Judy” Marilyn Martin, 80, of The Villages, FL died peacefully January 20, 2020 in Leesburg, Florida.
Judith Marilyn Hill was born March 11, 1939 to Alta L. (Fleury) Hill and Walter J. “Buddy” Hill in Port Huron, MI. She graduated from Port Huron High School in 1956 and in the fall of 1958 married Phillip “Phil” J. Martin, her high school sweetheart. She and Phil had three children, Julie Lisbeth, Anne Margaret and Laura Elaine.
Judy and Phil spent the early years of their marriage in Ann Arbor, MI as Phil pursued his dentistry degree then moved to Germany during Phil’s service in the U.S. Army. When they returned from Europe Phil set up a dental practice in Port Huron and they settled into a busy life of raising children. As the children grew Judy pursued her love of cooking and education and earned a Bachelor Degree from Michigan State University. Combining her love of cooking with teaching she taught courses in the culinary arts at St. Clair County Community College (SC4). Later she earned a Masters degree from Wayne State University and joined the History faculty at SC4. Judy retired in 1999 and she and Phil moved to Southport, NC and then to The Villages, FL.
In her retirement years she fell in love with genealogy research and discovered ancestry back to the Revolutionary War. This led to her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and a busy volunteer schedule through the Puc Puggy Chapter in The Villages. She eventually served as their Regent and enjoyed the work they did to support area Veterans. In her capacity with the DAR she became involved with The Villages Veterans Memorial Park and served as their secretary. An active member of Hope Lutheran Church, she served as an alter guild member. Judy, and her beloved golden retriever, Finnegan, volunteered with the PAWS Reading Program and then trained as a therapy dog and provided comfort to people in hospice. A force of nature, she led a very full and productive life and will be missed dearly by her family and friends.
Judy is survived by her husband Phil, daughters Julie Comer and her husband Timothy,(St. Clair, MI) Anne Pippen (Morrisville, NC) and Laura Martin-Fedich and husband Glenn Fedich (The Villages, FL); grandchildren Megan Comer Achatz and her husband Heath (Casco Township, MI), Joshua Comer and his wife Meagan (Dunnellon, FL), Justin Comer (St. Clair, MI), Ben Comer and his wife Morgan (St. Clair, MI), and Erica Pippen (Durham, NC). Her great-grand children Brianna Comer, Elijah Comer, Aubrey Comer, Gabriel Comer, Lake Achatz and Avery Achatz. Her sister Joan Andre and her husband Duane (The Villages, FL) and brother Michael Hill (Claremont, FL). Also her husband’s siblings, Suzanne Hoffman and her husband Michael (Ocala, FL), David Martin and his wife Bonnie (Junction City, KY), Charles Martin and his wife Barbara (Ocala, FL), and sister-in-law Beverly Martin (Sahuarita, AZ) and many nephews and nieces. Judy was preceded in death by her parents, her in-laws, Lyndon E. Martin and Willifred L. (Carveth) Martin, her brother-in-law Gerald Martin and her beloved dog, Finnegan.
A memorial service will be held January 25, 2020 at 1:00 pm at Freedom Point, 1550 El Camino Real, The Villages, FL. In tribute the family has asked that donations be made in Judy’s name to The Veterans Memorial Park of The Villages, Inc., P. O. Box 2255 Lady Lake, FL 32158.
