Rita M. Martin

Rita M. Martin passed away on Saturday, February 24th at Allied Services Skilled Nursing Center in Scranton. In two months she would have celebrated her 100th birthday.

Born in 1924 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Rita was the daughter of Lawrence and Barbara Kaiser Dress. She was the second oldest of ten children. Her education was completed at St. Nicholas and St. Boniface School in Wilkes-Barre and at St. Ann’s Academy.

Rita met her husband, Stephen J. Martin, at a Roller Skating Rink in Kingston before World War II. They corresponded throughout the war – a feat that included some 673 numbered letters sent to one another. They married in 1948 at St. Boniface Church in Wilkes-Barre and lived their entire married life in Luzerne. They were married for 63 years at the time of Steve’s death in 2011. They were the proud parents of three children: Stephen, Donna, and Paul.

The affairs of her children were always a prominent feature of Rita’s life. At St. John Nepomucene School in Luzerne, she served as a “Friday Morning Library Reader” to the 1st Graders, where she gathered the young learners on cushions on the floor in the Library and read exciting books to them. She was always active with the PTA. At Central Catholic High School in Kingston (later known as Bishop O’Reilly), she volunteered as a “Monday Cafeteria Worker” where she served meals to the students and staff. She was always busy with fund-raisers, programs, and trips of all kinds.

At her Church, Rita enjoyed being a Lector and a Eucharistic Minister. She was a member of the first Pastoral Council at St. John’s. Her service also included planning and promoting “World Days of Prayer” with all of the Church denominations in the borough. She was a daily Mass attendee.

Rita was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary of Assumpta Council 3987 of the Knights of Columbus in Luzerne. She did much with fund raising and its many programs. She planned all the fun at many of the group’s Christmas parties and she was its President for a time. She was a volunteer leader with the Cub Scouts, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts and the Little League. She was awarded the “St. Ann’s Award” by the Diocese of Scranton in 1975 for her efforts with young people in the Scouting Program. She also was honored with induction into the “Chapel of the Four Chaplains” Honor Society for her selfless volunteering.

During World War II, Rita studied to become a Nurse’s Aide with the American Red Cross. She later took business courses and worked at Bartikowsky Jewelers and Pittsburgh Plate Glass. After taking time off to raise her children and until her retirement, she worked as an Administrative Assistant at Guyette Communication Industries in Luzerne and Larksville.

She was an excellent cook and baker (cookies and cakes were her specialty). She was also an accomplished seamstress and enjoyed crocheting and knitting. In her later years, she enjoyed knitting prayer shawls for people in Nursing Homes with the St. Ignatius Knitting Ministry. She sent thousands of greeting cards to friends, acquaintances, and people brought to her attention in nursing homes – many of which included a scratch-off lottery ticket.

Besides her parents and Steve, she was preceded in death by her granddaughter Cassandra Langtry, as well as her sisters Frances Jacobs and Dolores Wallace, brothers Lawrence Dress, Bernard Dress, William Dress, Charles Dress, Gerard Dress, and James Dress along with nephews Kevin Dress and Christopher Jacobs.

Rita is survived by her son Stephen J. Martin and his wife Rebecca, daughter Donna Martin-Langtry and her husband Douglas, son Paul Martin and his wife Kathy, grandson Brian Martin and his wife Megan, sister Rose Marie Heck and sisters-in-law Jean Dress and Connie Dress. She was the proud aunt to 33 nieces and nephews.

Rita’s Family wishes to thank the entire Staff of Allied Services Skilled Nursing Center – and especially the amazing Nursing Staff of the Alzheimer’s Unit – for their excellent and compassionate care and concern. In addition, they wish to recognize the Staff Members of Allied Services Hospice for meeting her needs and for the comfort that they supplied at a difficult time. Finally, they wish to thank Dr. Richard Weinberger for his expertise that successfully navigated Rita through many difficulties.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday February 28th at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Family Church in Luzerne by Father Richard Fox. Friends and family are welcome to attend a viewing at Betz-Jastremski Funeral Home, 568 Bennett Street, Luzerne from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the Mass. Interment will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Kingston Township.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Rita’s memory to Allied Services Skilled Nursing Center, 303 Smallacombe Drive, Scranton, PA 18508 or Holy Family Parish, 574 Bennett Street, Luzerne, PA 18709.