John, Janet, Julie

So deeply saddened to hear 'Marty' has passed on. My condolences to all.
An extraordinary person.
Marty is that "special lady' that you only meet once in a lifetime.

Dear John, Janet, Julie and family

I am sorry to hear about Marty. She was a great lady and will be missed by all
Love Peppi

Julie, Jan and John - 
On behalf of your many Sutherland relatives and their families, we send our sympathies and love to each of you in the passing of your mother, our beautiful Marty.
When I spoke to those first cousins of your mother or their mates or children (Mary Chapman, Marge Smeaton, Mary Robertson, Liz Walker, Bill Taylor, Marg Brown, Nancy Wainman and Zac Sutherland) we spoke of her smile, always so warm and welcoming, her enthusiasm for life, her wonderful capacity to love, of our great joys in sharing with her, and of how she was a bright light in so many lives.
As with each of you, each of us will treasure our memories of Marty, and of our times together through the years.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.
With much love, Marg Geisler

Dear Julie, I am truly sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. Please accept my deepest condolences and may our prayers help comfort you.

My love and sympathy to Marty's dear ones - and here are my memories....
   Martha Anne was one of twelve Sutherland first cousins, eight of whom grew up in Guelph, Ontario.  Sadly, her mother died when she was only four, and she and her father, Uncle Jack, lived at Dunrobin, Grandpa and Grandma Sutherland's big house, where Marty grew up.  Dunrobin was a gathering place for family and I remember many happy hours, playing there, and the wonderful family birthday parties and Hallowe'en parties and particularly the amazing Christmas celebrations when the whole family would assemble for the happy occasion.
  Summer holidays were spent first of all at Goderich, where Grandma rented a spacious house overlooking the harbour.  Marty and brother John and cousin Jim were born within a few months of one another and were 'great pals' and had many adventures together with John's little sister, Mary, tagging along when they did not manage to escape her annoying presence.  Our aunt, Nannie, (Anne Sutherland Brooks)often stayed with us and we loved to sit on a bench in front of the house and watch the beautiful sunsets while Nannie told us one of her wonderful stories.  
  When we were older, we went to Port Elgin, where we spent many hours building sand dams on the beach.  Not only was Marty born with beautiful brown eyes, but NATURALLY CURLY chestnut brown hair - and skin that tanned to a beautiful golden brown with the minimum of effort.  No constant applying of cream by concerned aunts or the need to wear a big ugly sun hat!
  When I meet old friends at Guelph high school (Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute) reunions, almost the first question that is asked is "Is Marty coming?"  I don't think there were many boys who were not secretly in love with her!  She had a wonderful group of loyal girl friends too and they remained close long after school days were past.  There was a magic about her.  She had a vibrant personality which attracted both the very young and very old to her - a rare gift.  And she was a cheerleader - both in high school and at university  - but a good student, as well.
  With all this, I think that the role that Marty liked best was that of being a mother.  Marty and I had our first two children( John and Janet) at roughly the same time and I was amazed at her capability and how much she enjoyed the development, the antics, all the aspects of motherhood.  That never changed and carried on with Julie, her third, and then with her grandchildren who were so dear to her hear
   When distance and frailty of body made traveling difficult, Marty and I had many long telephone'visits' when we reminisced about these happy years. There was much laughter.   She always, always, stressed the good times.  And that is the way I will think of her, and see her in my 'mind's eye!

Dear Julie,
Heartfelt sympathies to you and your family in your time of grief.  You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers.
Ken and Susanna

Dear Julie, I didn't know your mother, but you always spoke lovingly of her.  She will be in your thoughts always.  My condolences to you and your family at this sad time.  I'll see you soon.  ,,,,  Karen Bayly

Dear Julie, my heart went out to you when I heard of your mom's passing.  She was clearly a shining star in your life - you always spoke so fondly of her.  My deepest sympathies to you, and your family.

Dear Julie - Remembering your wonderful mum and wishing you comfort during this difficult time.  My deepest sympathies & warmest hugs..Colleen

Hi Julie - my deepest condolences to you and your family.  A big hug is waiting for you when you get back to the office.

I know how special mothers are and I will be thinking of you on Saturday.

Theresa - xo

Dear Julie, Janet, John and family,
We are sorry for your loss of Mom-Marty. We enjoyed her sense of humour, her quick wit..Marty had a very positive influence on the many young people with whom she had contact.
As children and teens, we spent many summers " going over to the Gerrard's ". "Surf"s up!"  15 kids on the dock waiting to take a turn water skiing
Such generosity as many others have stated
We were all impacted by Marty and Al  as is evident by our testimonies
We pray that The Lord be with you each one. Bless you and strengthen you. 
Mary Cawston, Patti McPhee, Ron Van Ness

Marty
It was an honor and a privilege to have you as a friend.  You made me smile and laugh in so many ways, you can't imagine.  I will miss you so much but I know you are pain free now. It's a great loss to your family, but as always they will pull together as a family  and get each other through this difficult time.  Fly Angel, you have earned your wings.

Marty will be sadly missed.  I have so many lovely memories of Marty when I used to go up to visit at the cottage.  She was funny and vivacious.  She enjoyed life so much.  Hard to let go of those we love.  I will always remember Marty.  God bless the family.

Dear Jan and family - with many fond memories of Marty, she is now resting in peace.  Sending love and light as you journey through this difficult time.  Love Linda xo

The flood of memories warms my broken heart.  Summers at Lake Couchiching with so much fun and laughter. Hearing this news is almost too much.  I miss you my dearest Marty, my second mother, my mentor, my compass. You were such an amazing influence and love in my life.  Thank you for everything.  Your memory will live on through all of those hearts you brightened.  Jan, Julie and John you are in my prayers at this time of greatest sadness.

Memories from Toronto, , meals, scotch, the cottage, our flowergirl, always welcoming, sharing brown eyes(only cousin). So, so many
Love to you all, weather permitting see you on Saurday. David and Eliz

Julie, Janet and John,
It was right around the time my parents turned 40 and were feeling "Oh dear, we're 40. I guess were old". And that is what they set out to do. Right about that time, this young couple moved in next door with 3 great kids and something miraculous happened. Martie and Allan Gerard dragged them kicking and screaming into a second round of youth.
They went away to Florida together, and the Eastern Townships and they had a great time together.
There seemed to be no age difference because it was as if the youth of the couple next door was contagious. 
The family were frequent guests at the cottage and there was always fun to be had.
All of you must be honest with me. Is there anyone that can picture her without a fabulous smile on her face.
Everyone who met her, man or woman, fell in love with her. You couldn't be sad when she was anywhere near you.
The Gerrard family became an extension of the Hough family and all of there extended family. 
Her passing is a sad time, but just being reminded of the way her life positively touched us all has again put smiles on our faces.
Let's face it. Our lives will be considered a success if when people think of us, they smile.
This beautiful lady's life was a success by this or any other measure.
We love you, and will miss you.

Bob & Dianne Hough
Jackie and Ron Williams

Julie and family, 
Melissa and I are very sorry to hear of your mother's passing. Our thoughts are with you all during this difficult time.

Martha Ann Gerrard (nee: Sutherland)  aka: Marty, Momma "G" my other Mom.
What a remarkable woman. A graduate from the University of Toronto, a university football cheerleader, wife, mother, grandmother, mother of all the cottage children in Hopkins Bay off the Rama Road across the lake from the City of Orillia. 
For me she was my summer mother for many years. The generosity that was afforded me by the Gerrard family formed the foundations of my life and gave me lifetime memories that many children can only dream about. 
She lost her father at an early age, John Sutherland of Sutherland and Sons Insurance Company, Guelph Ontario. She often spoke of the generosity of her father and the family business to me.  Her times at the University of Toronto and her love of sports. For years her and her husband went to every Argos Football game in Toronto and hockey games at Maple Leaf Gardens. She was a quiet source of knowledge on all the professional players.
Through the years as with many dear friendships, people grow farther apart. As is true in very special friendships conversations would pick up right where they had left off without skipping a beat always returning back to our common love of the cottage and the many memories it held. Every Sunday was a special time with a sit down beautiful dinner. She had mastered the art of cooking a roast of beef, lamb, turkey and pork with all the trimmings. How she feed so many and never turned anyone away is an accomplishment that I have not even come close to mastering.
We were considered the master food testers for my step Dad's (poppa G) recent acquisitions of food product imports from England. When he would arrive late on Friday's I enjoyed running out to greet him and help bring in his special boxes in the trunk of his car. I never knew that you could actually get bacon in a can, or tiny sausages in a bottle. The company mainstay was Lawry's season salt and pepper. Prior to bringing Wheatabex to his company we had it first at the cottage on Saturday mornings. One of his Saturday morning rituals at the cottage was to cook breakfast for everyone. He taught me about my one and only cooking skill and that was his amazing sliced tomatoes and sprinkling on Parmesan cheese fried in the bacon grease.   
Marty's greatest gift was her ability to make time for every child. She made everyone feel important. The cottage property was just south of the Rama First Nations reserve and back in the mid 60's the reserve was not as prosperous as it is today. She gave employment to a gardener and a housekeeper from the reserve. He was the hereditary Chief and descendent of William Yellowhead of the Chippewa's of Rama.  As young children we learned a lot from them. We would all gather around him when he would stop to eat his lunch with his wife and we listened to his many colourful stories of early times between the white man and the red man (as he would say). I would like to believe that these lunchtime stories gave me a better insight into the career I chose.  The children from the reserve used to come down to swim off the boathouse dock on the hot summer afternoons and a neighbour complained to my Mom and she said it was just fine and to leave them alone they were not hurting anyone. 
I will carry her in my heart today and tomorrow and for the rest of my life, thanking her for all the wonderful memories of a time not soon forgotten.

OBITUARIO

Martha Anne Gerrard

10 enero, 1927 – 1 febrero, 2016

Thompson Funeral Home

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