Martha Smith Greenwood

Martha was born in Asheboro, North Carolina on December 5, 1928 to Stanley Smith and Mattie Register Smith. She lived, however, the majority of her life in the Virginia Beach and Norfolk area. She is predeceased by her parents, a brother, Stanley Smith Jr., her son, Steven Neil Tice, and her husband, Joseph Louis Greenwood, Jr.

She is survived by her two remaining sons, Larry J. Tice (Susan) of Norfolk, Virginia; Joseph L. Greenwood, III (Beckie) of Floral City, Florida; her two daughters, Martha Suzanne Tice-Wettlauffer (Tom) of Palm Coast Florida; Elizabeth Ann Jernigan of Virginia Beach; eight grandchildren: Charles Lee Tice (Fallon) of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Jake Tice of Hastings, Florida; Jessica Crookshank Dugan of Saint Augustine, Florida; Jill Crookshank of Saint Augustine, Florida; Amber Greenwood of Sandy, Utah; Davis Versprille of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Delaney Versprille Bonney (Dawson) of Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Wade Jernigan of Virginia Beach, Virginia; as well as five great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Martha was a 1947 Asheboro High School graduate who went on to attend college for two years before getting married and having three beautiful children. In the second part of her life, she married Naval Academy graduate Joseph L. Greenwood Jr. in 1959 and remained married to him until his passing in December of 1982. Later in life she became a front desk attendant at the Lake Wright Hotel before becoming the bookkeeper at Bunch and Swanner law firm. From there she went on to be the bookkeeper at the Chrysler Museum where she remained until she retired. Upon retiring she continued to volunteer at the Chrysler Museum. She also volunteered at Kempsville Elementary School. She thoroughly enjoyed working with the children.

Martha was an avid doll collector and a member of a Norfolk Doll Club in the late 1990's to early 2000's. A member of that club introduced her to whom would become her final love, Donald R. Cottingham. The two enjoyed traveling down the road in his convertibles and finding new ways to experience and enjoy life! She was his avid and devoted caretaker until his passing in September of 2013.

One of Martha's greatest loves (besides that for her family) came in the form of furry paws. Martha was a huge dog and cat lover. She had many pets over her long lifetime. She was also very proud to have lived with many of those pets in her house on Manchester Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia for nearly 40 years. The community and neighbors there treated her with great love and admiration. It was a beautiful place to live out her final years as long as she was able to have done so.

Services will be held at Royster Memorial Presbyterian Church, 6901 Newport Avenue Norfolk, VA, on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at 11:00 am with viewing beginning at 10:00 am. Reception will follow the service in the fellowship hall. Burial will be graveside at Reynoldson Baptist Church in Gates, North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to support the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.