Martha "Marty" Sue Avery

It is with sorrow we note the peaceful passing of Martha Sue “Marty” Baumgartner Avery, 84,a devoted wife, and wonderful sister, aunt, sister-in-law, great aunt and friend on December 10, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was born in Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana on September 9, 1941, to Robert Baumgartner and Frances G. Miller Baumgartner. She was raised in Spencer, Owen County, Indiana where her family lovingly called her “Susie”.

She was a graduate of Spencer High School, Spencer, Indiana where she was very active as a member or leader of various groups such as Girls Athletic Association, Tri-Y, Craft Club, editor of the Annual, Future Teachers of America, Art Club, played cornet in the band and starred in 2 plays! Marty went on to graduate from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in 1962, she acquired her BSN from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1968. She moved to Denver to attend the University of Colorado where in 1972 she graduated with a MSN majoring in Maternal Child Nursing. She pursued doctoral education at IUPUI from 1987-1993. Marty loved teaching pediatric nursing and especially doing clinicals, giving her a chance to role model nursing for her students who found her to be a very caring and approachable faculty member.

Marty worked as a staff nurse and supervisor until she moved to Durham, North Carolina to work at Duke University to work in 1964. When Marty returned to Indianapolis, she worked at Methodist Hospital in a variety of positions in pediatrics with her last position being a clinical nurse specialist. In 1979 she joined the faculty of Depauw University School of Nursing setting her off on a career that combined two things she loved-pediatric nursing and teaching! While at Depauw University she became a tenured Assistant Professor. Marty became a Marian College now University faculty member in their nursing department in 1993. At Marian College she became a Associate Professor teaching pediatrics. In August 2002 she retired but later found she still wanted to continue teaching students, so she joined the faculty at J. Everett Light Career Center in their nursing program working with Fundamental students until 2009. Students continued to be in contact with Marty throughout her retirement.

How to describe Marty and her many interests! She loved the color blue in her wardrobe which worked great when teaching at Depauw and Marian. Marty didn’t meet a sport she didn’t love whether it was something she played like softball or tennis or Jazzercize where she earned a T-shirt for 100 days of exercise in one year! Supporting sports teams was something she enjoyed with her husband Doug such as Chicago Cubs, Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts, Indiana University Hoosiers plus always attending the Indianapolis 500. She was well known among family, friends, and colleagues for her love of cooking and baking with specialties in lasagna and lemon squares, to name a few. Perhaps more so she loved to bring food to work and was always up for going out to eat especially liver and onions was on the menu! She loved her rescue dogs, Jesse, Spunky, Rocky, and Sugar. When she had free time, she enjoyed making crafts for Christmas gifts and knitting. It is so fitting that her passing occurred in the Christmas season because Marty was all things Christmas. It was time for her to get excited about making and purchasing gifts, decorating, collecting Santa Claus figures or ornaments. She considered the season officially started the day after Thanksgiving where she began wearing a different pair of Christmas earrings and outfits every day in the run up to Christmas! But overall, what people remember the most about Marty was her optimism and positive outlook which prevailed till the end of her life. She had so much love, friendship, and kindness to give.

She was a member of Thursday Afternoon Book Club, Sigma Theta Tau, American Association of Care of Children in Health, IU Alumni, Methodist Hospital School of Nursing Alumni, and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents Robert “Bob” Baumgartner and Frances G. Miller Baumgartner.

She is survived by her devoted husband of 47 years, Doug Avery, and sister Barbara (David) Brinson, brother Gary (Janice) Baumgartner, and several nieces and nephews. Also survived are brother and sisters-in-law : Chuck (Debbie) Avery, Lou Ann Beaumont, Ellen (John) Bilo, and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations could be made directly to the Greater Indiana Chapter Alzheimer’s Association by going to their website. In the months to come there will be a nursing scholarship established in Marty’s name at Marian University as a legacy.

Visitation and service will be on December 22, 2025 with the visitation at 10-11 am at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St. Indianapolis, IN. The funeral will follow at 11 am in Roberston Chapel. Parking is at the side of the church and enter through Door 6.

We will miss her smile, her joy and her warm friendly personality.