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IN LOVING MEMORY OF Martha Challener
Martha
Challener
d. Mar 27, 2015
Martha Challener's Obituary
Martha Coate Challener died peacefully at Stonebridge on Friday, March 27th Martha Coate Challener died peacefully at Stonebridge on Friday, March 27th. She was 90 years young. Her love of reading, of painting, of appreciating the natural world, and of befriending everyone she met will live on in her children, her grandchildren, her friends, and the generations of children that she taught.
Martha Coate was born in Dayton, Ohio and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She earned her BA from Chatham College. In 1947, she married the love of her life, Richard Challener. The two of them raised three children, Cathy, Elisbeth, and Dan, and lived happily together for 55 years. They shared many passions, including teaching, reading, hiking, gardening, caring for dogs, visiting art museums, and spending time at their cabin in New Hampshire.
Martha began her teaching career in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania and continued it in Tenafly, NJ. She left teaching to raise her children, but returned in 1969 to teach kindergarten at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart. She stayed at Stuart for 25 years and often claimed she loved every minute of it. She especially loved to teach children how to read, something she did over and over and over again. She also taught art appreciation, developing a series of talks and contests for elementary school children. She helped create the StuARTS summer program, served as a children's docent at the University Art Museum, and taught water color to children and adults in her home for many years.
In 2004, two years after her husband died, Martha moved to Stonebridge and, with her dachshund Birdie, made many new friends. She continued to enjoy painting and also took up memoir writing. She wrote a series of vignettes about the many blessings in her life and gave copies to her family on Christmas Day, 2012. She and her family celebrated her 90th birthday in New Hampshire this past summer, and she continued to travel to see her children and grandchildren into this year.
Family members who will continue to hold Martha dear to their heart include her three children, Cathy Challener, Elisbeth Challener and her husband Brett Bachman, and Dan Challener and his wife Melinda and their three children, Brandon, Skye, and Dakota, as well as Martha's brother David Coate, and his four children, Lisa, Andrew, Amy, and Dan.
Martha Coate Challener loved life. She often said, "Every day is a gift from God. Live it to the fullest, and enjoy every minute." Her life is proof that we can do that.
A celebration of her life will be held at 11 am on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at Stonebridge at Montgomery, 100 Hollinshead Spring Road, Skillman, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton or the Stonebridge Employee Appreciation Fund.
Martha Coate was born in Dayton, Ohio and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She earned her BA from Chatham College. In 1947, she married the love of her life, Richard Challener. The two of them raised three children, Cathy, Elisbeth, and Dan, and lived happily together for 55 years. They shared many passions, including teaching, reading, hiking, gardening, caring for dogs, visiting art museums, and spending time at their cabin in New Hampshire.
Martha began her teaching career in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania and continued it in Tenafly, NJ. She left teaching to raise her children, but returned in 1969 to teach kindergarten at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart. She stayed at Stuart for 25 years and often claimed she loved every minute of it. She especially loved to teach children how to read, something she did over and over and over again. She also taught art appreciation, developing a series of talks and contests for elementary school children. She helped create the StuARTS summer program, served as a children's docent at the University Art Museum, and taught water color to children and adults in her home for many years.
In 2004, two years after her husband died, Martha moved to Stonebridge and, with her dachshund Birdie, made many new friends. She continued to enjoy painting and also took up memoir writing. She wrote a series of vignettes about the many blessings in her life and gave copies to her family on Christmas Day, 2012. She and her family celebrated her 90th birthday in New Hampshire this past summer, and she continued to travel to see her children and grandchildren into this year.
Family members who will continue to hold Martha dear to their heart include her three children, Cathy Challener, Elisbeth Challener and her husband Brett Bachman, and Dan Challener and his wife Melinda and their three children, Brandon, Skye, and Dakota, as well as Martha's brother David Coate, and his four children, Lisa, Andrew, Amy, and Dan.
Martha Coate Challener loved life. She often said, "Every day is a gift from God. Live it to the fullest, and enjoy every minute." Her life is proof that we can do that.
A celebration of her life will be held at 11 am on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at Stonebridge at Montgomery, 100 Hollinshead Spring Road, Skillman, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton or the Stonebridge Employee Appreciation Fund.
To plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit our tree store.
Funeral Services for Martha Challener
Memorial Service
April
2
Thursday
Stonebridge at Montgomery
Starts at 11:00 am
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