Martha Yost Newcomer

Martha was the beloved wife of James (Jim) Newcomer (deceased) and mother of Jeffrey (husband of Kristen Larson), Andrew (husband of Theresa), and Juliet Newcomer. Martha also was grandmother to Anne, Clara, Michael, and Nicholas Newcomer. She is survived by her brother, Andrew Yost (husband of Kay), brothers-in-law, Paul Newcomer (husband of Pearl) and John Newcomer (husband of Stephanie), and nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her sister, Lydia Yost, and brother, Philip (Bucky) Yost.

Martha’s life was defined by motherhood, music, service, world travel, and tenacity. Born in Hartford, Connecticut on May 14th, 1939 to Anne (Bulkeley) and Philip Yost, Martha spent her formative years in West Hartford, where she was an avid Girl Scout and camp counselor. She attended Kingswood Oxford School, and was praised by her teachers as someone who recognized what needed to be done and was willing to step up and do it - a trait that would characterize her entire life. She graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts in 1961 with a degree in mathematics and subsequently married the love of her life, Jim, in June of 1962 after the two met on a blind date. Jim’s career with General Motors and a two-year stint with the US Army would take the couple and their children across the United States and beyond, with stops in Hinsdale, Illinois; Arlington, Virginia; Royal Oak, Michigan; Tehran, Iran; and Tunis, Tunisia; before settling for the long term in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Soon after marriage, Martha found work as a computer programmer and wrote code for a project supporting the Apollo space program. She subsequently dedicated her time to the raising of her children and volunteer service with organizations such as the Cub Scouts, Detroit Skating Club, Christ Church Cranbrook, and Fox Hills homeowners association, among others. Music was a huge part of Martha’s life, and she spent many decades singing with and supporting choral groups, including the Junior League and Birmingham Musicale, often visiting nursing homes to bring joy to the residents through song. She also loved camping, nature, gardening, sewing, swimming, archaeology, sports (especially football, hockey, ice skating, and tennis), and cooking. In her later years and following Jim’s passing in 2019, she moved to O’Fallon, Missouri and Colorado Springs, Colorado to be near her children and grandchildren as she struggled with dementia. Martha was a natural leader, an eternal optimist, a tireless worker, and a loving person, and she will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by those she left behind.

There will be a funeral and interment of her earthly remains at Christ Church Cranbrook, 470 Church Road, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan on Monday, June 9th, 2025 at 11 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the following address or website. Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Max M. & Marjorie Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201; https://tickets.dso.org/support/donate