Martha Jean Penfound

Martha Jean Penfound was born in Oshawa on February 2, 1927 and passed away in her 99th year on December 2, 2025 in Dartmouth. She was the only child of Earl and May Shipman and spent her early years growing up in Oshawa.

In 1947 she married the love of her life ‘Sim’ Penfound and moved to Courtice. They raised their four sons in the stone farmhouse on Prestonvale Road. Martha and Sim were very active and respected in their community, church and wine club. Sim was a quiet, strong, steady guy while Martha was spirited and outgoing, a quintessential redhead. The perfect couple, devoted to each other. Martha was a force, always well turned out (no pink!) and sociable.

She had an actual bucket list and ticked off almost all of it and more: skydiving (on her 65th birthday), riding in a hot air balloon, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the penguins in Antarctica, scuba diving in Grand Cayman, racing in a cigarette boat on Lake Ontario, riding on a motorcycle(in her 90’s), walking on the Great Wall, designing the cottage from start to finish and so much more.

After Sim’s passing in 2005 Martha moved to Dartmouth where she lived until her passing, making many new friends in the community, and at Admiralty Place. In the early years she developed a love for Shubie Park where she often walked with her dog Lucy.

In addition to Sim she was predeceased by her two sons, Lee and Clare, brother-in-law Lorne Penfound and his wife Jean and sister-in-law Ruth Evans and her husband Bob.

She is survived by her sons Mark (Rosalind), Todd (Line), grandchildren Kate Starr (Joe), Will (Dianne), Magalie (Ryan) and adored great grandsons, Eric and Leo Starr, as well as several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the EHS members who responded to our call and the staff at the Dartmouth General Hospital for their care and compassion, as well as Cathy George for her support and friendship to Martha over many years.

There will be a celebration of life at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Feed Nova Scotia or the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation.