September 19, 1935 – September 28, 2020
Martha (Cunning) Strong Perry, 85, of Noank, CT, died on Monday September 28, 2020 at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital surrounded by family and friends. She was born in 1935 in Schenectady, NY, daughter of Florence (Geddes) and Morgan Bond Strong. She graduated from Nott Terrace High School (Schenectady) in 1953. After attending Vermont Junior College (Montpelier, VT) for one year, she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Sciences at Russell Sage College in Troy, NY, in 1957.
In 1957, Martha married Peter Butler Perry of Ossining, NY, and a graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. The early years of their marriage were spent largely overseas around the Mediterranean where Peter served in the US Navy. This travel was a formative experience for Martha, and she continued to travel the world throughout her life. Upon their return to the US, they lived in Annapolis, Maryland, where their four children were born. In 1968, the family moved to Gales Ferry, CT. Martha and Peter divorced in 1982.
Martha was a creative and innovative teacher. She started teaching at the nursery school at St David’s Episcopal Church in Gales Ferry, then co-partnered her own Discovery Nursery School. In 1978, she started teaching in the Enrichment Program in the Montville Public School system, where she retired in 1999. Even after retiring Martha was passionate about learning and teaching, continuing her education and teaching topics as varied as ESL and vegetarian cooking. She took several overseas trips to assist painter Charles Gruppe during his classes.
Martha was adventurous, did things her own way, and embraced opportunities that came her way without fear. Martha loved the out of doors and hiked, biked, gardened, kayaked, and canoed. She hiked much of the Appalachian Trail, was a member of the Connecticut Outdoor Education Association, and an AMC naturalist in the White Mountain huts for a time. She was a Girl Scout leader and Boy Scout mother, and volunteered at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. She loved to travel and did it as much as possible, taking many friends with her. Martha loved to sketch and paint, and would doodle on any scrap of paper that was nearby. She loved family and friends, cooking and sharing food and wine, no matter where she found herself. Books were a passion that encompassed all of her interests, and her house was a veritable library of everything she enjoyed.
Martha will be greatly missed by family and friends. Her cheerful and positive spirit is an inspiration to us all. She is survived by her four children, Elizabeth, Andrew (Caroline Chute), Janet (Chuck Hughes), and Matthew (Sue Homewood), three grandchildren, Katherine and John Hughes and Julia Chute and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. A grave-side service for family will be held at the Niskayuna Reformed Church (Niskayuna, NY) on October 9, 2020. A memorial service will be held in Southeast Connecticut at a later date.
In lieu of flowers: sketch a flower, go for a walk, cook for friends, watch a sunset, laugh. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or other organization promoting cancer research and treatment.
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