Marian Jean Martin Obituary (2023)

Marian Jean Martin November 13, 1935 - December 16, 2023 Marian was fierce. Folks would describe her as polite, quiet, reserved, possessing a great singing voice, and always deeply kind. She was all that and so much more. She was incredibly witty, endlessly sarcastic, opinionated, and sharp as a tack. She could stop you in your tracks with a well-timed eye roll. Marian had excellent hearing (no whispering a secret in the hallway), was an expert napper, made a magic mac-n-cheese with hotdogs, was brave, resilient, and had a fantastic memory. She was a voracious reader, an avid sports fan, and incredibly competitive cards, board games, charades, trivia, bocce ball, croquet, volleyball, and "HORSE" unless playing with grandkids, then they would always win. She was great at defying expectations and hated being late. Marian Jean Robnett was born in Portland, Oregon, to Mae (Casey) Robnett and Elmo (Doc) Robnett. The youngest of her siblings, Marian, was curious and bold. She graduated, with honors, from McLoughlin (Mac-Hi) in Milton-Freewater in 1935. Marian attended Eastern Oregon College for two years before transferring to Northwest Christian College and graduating in 1957. At NCC, she met Edwin L. Martin, and despite her parents saying, "Do not marry a preacher," they celebrated 64 years of marriage, ministry, friendship, and raising their family together. Marian had an adventurous spirit. She stared down buffalos in Yellowstone, white water rafted the Snake River and snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. Traveling with Marian through airport security or across a border was always a tricky TSA game of whats in her purse a pharmacy of medications & vitamins, leftover chocolate Easter eggs wrapped in foil, or twelve ballpoint pens wrapped with a rubber band. She cruised Alaska, hiked volcanoes in Hawaii, drove a U-haul to Chicago, visited Greece, sang in Australia, and shopped at The Grand Bazaar in Turkey. Marian adored music. She loved musicals, hymns, popular music and was a little bit country and a little bit rock-n-roll. Her beautiful alto anchored every church choir and Yakimas Bel Canto chorus for over forty years. Music was the soundtrack of our home. Her singing was the morning alarm clock, the evening dinner preparation, and the nighttime peace. Marian loved with fierce determination and a wide-open heart. She was a devoted wife, mother, and the steel core of our familys foundation. She was giving, incredibly humble, and supportive in an amazingly unassuming manner. She was preceded in death by all of her siblings: Jim, Pat, and Tony, and most recently, her beloved husband, Ed. She is survived by her children: Larry, Mary Lea, Brian, and Wendy. Grandkids: Karen, Haley, Tracy, Emily, Jackson and Mason. Great-grandkids: Owen, Leighton, Quinn, and Harper. She loved her daughter-in-law Susan, son-in-laws Dave and Seneca, and grandson-in-laws Kyle, Andy, and Ethan. She loved being an aunt, great aunt, cousin, and more she drew a large family circle. We teased her about constantly watching the Hallmark channel and reading romance novels, but she knew the truth choosing love is always the fiercest choice. A private burial at Terrace Heights Cemetery will be followed by a celebration service on Saturday, March 9th, at Englewood Christian Church at 2pm. A live streaming option will also be available