Martina passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on April 22, 2015. She was 64 years old and is survived by her husband, Curt, two sons, Patrick and Daniel, and 6 brothers and sisters all of them living in Ireland.

Martina was known for her bold sense of humor, empathy and endless generosity. As she always said to anyone she would meet: "my door is always open". Utterly and completely carefree, selfless & without ego she genuinely loved people, especially children. Not interested in the normal trappings of life, she had no interest or time for material things. She chased happiness, not money. No agenda, ever. Big heart, big smile, bigger laugh. You knew when she came into a room. Perhaps this is why many people took to Martina. She was irresistible, she made people laugh. She had a genuineness you could just about hold in your hands.

Born and raised in the south of Ireland, in the small town of Ennis, County Clare, Martina was one of 11 children (all of them characters in their own way). Growing up in a small row house she learned to get along with everyone, what was important and what was not worth thinking twice about. Few toys, with no luxuries whatsoever, she never felt poor and she looked back on her childhood as absolutely idyllic. She had the love of her parents, amazing people themselves, the close bonds to sisters and brothers and a neighborhood street filled with children.

She loved Ireland and came to understand the long sad history of parents saying goodbye to their children. She herself left Ireland and arrived in New York where she lived for two years. There, she met matchmaker Dot, mother of her husband to be. Dot knew a good woman when she saw one, as did her son. Martina and Curt spent untold hours together in New York City and on the shores of Long Island. A move with Curt to Santa Barbara and then to Lompoc was the start of her own family. Martina and Curt were blessed with two boys. Those kids had no idea what they were in for. Curt watched Martina in amazement and learned a thing or two (or three) about life along the way.

Years later, after the boys were older, Martina found herself employed by the Lompoc Unified School District Central Kitchen, where among other things she learned how to make thousands of "PBJ's … quickly :). She loved and adored the people she worked with there. She moved on to Fillmore School where she was the "Quintessential Lunch Lady". Anyone who saw Martina in action in the cafeteria knew, she did not just serve lunch, she served love to those kids. While there, Martina made lifelong friends. Beyond that, Martina loved her Irish music, taking long fast walks and was a natural in the garden .But most of all, she enjoyed sitting down for a chat with a friend over a cup of tea, plain and simple.

All that was to suddenly change when life dealt Martina a terrible blow. Diagnosed 4 years ago with FTD, a rare form of dementia and a devastating and terminal disease, Martina was forced out of her beloved job and along the way out of many other aspects of life. As if she had not endured enough, last December Martina was diagnosed with ALS, another devastating disease. The ALS took hold of her and she went downhill quickly. A week in Hospice and she was gone.

Martina loved her religion, she loved being a Catholic and took great comfort in it. And so, there will be a mass for Martina at the La Purisima Catholic Church, Friday May 8th, 1 PM. Following the mass, Martina's ashes will be interred at the Lompoc Cemetery. Next day, Saturday May 9th, there will be a Celebration of Life for Martina at the family residence. If you knew Martina, please feel free to stop by. Casual dress, and come and go as you please.