Marie Cresko Martin, mother of seven, longtime resident of Rye, N.Y., and former nurse at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison, N.Y., died quietly of natural causes on June 30, 2022, at White Plains Hospital. She was 85.

Born on December 23, 1936, in Kingston, Pa., the daughter of Mary (Klass) and Joseph Cresko, she grew up in rural Pennsylvania. Devotion to family and a strong religious faith were instilled in her by her parents at a young age. Her maternal grandfather, who had emigrated from Poland, taught her to speak Polish.

She attended Marymount High School in Wilkes-Barre and was salutatorian of the class of 1954. 

Her kindness and motivation to help others led her to the nursing profession. She obtained her degree from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Wilkes-Barre.

In 1958, she was among a small group of nursing school colleagues offered a job opportunity at United Hospital in Port Chester, N.Y. It was at United that she met her future husband, Robert Martin, an insurance business owner whose mother was a patient. They fell in love and were married in 1959 at Resurrection Church in Rye, where they settled. She left United to raise her family but later returned to nursing part-time at St. Vincent’s Hospital, where she worked from 1980 to 2005. 

Marie Martin was a woman of many interests. One of her passions was golf. She was a three-time ladies club champion at Rye Golf Club and proudly displayed the championship plaques in her living room. 

She enjoyed the outdoors and was a gardening enthusiast. Marie enjoyed regular games of Scrabble and bridge with her close friends from Rye. She loved music of all types and sang in the choir at Resurrection Church. Her singing voice was sweet and would rise with the music in perfect pitch. She enjoyed sewing, baking, and conversation with family and friends.

Family was important to her. At family gatherings, she was known for her singing, dancing, cooking and storytelling. She was quick-witted and could trade quips with the best of them. Despite health issues in her final years, she remained happy and always had a smile on her face.

She is survived by her devoted children, Mary Martin of Rye, Sharon (John) Borchert of Patterson, N.Y., Dawn Martin of Palm Coast, Fla., Robert (Nancy) Martin of Rye, John (Tracy) Martin of Weston, Conn., and Joe Martin and life partner Aga of Oxford, Conn.; her longtime partner, Anjay Soltys; her sister Dorothy (George) Kachel of Kingston, Pa.; thirteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and her ex-husband, Robert Martin. She was predeceased by her brother, Joseph Cresko, and her beloved daughter, Linda Lizotte. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at The Church of the Resurrection in Rye on July 14 at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.