Martha Gertrude Holliday

Martha Gertrude Holliday (née McLean) was born on August 28, 1934, in Glendale, California to Marguerite and Malcolm McLean. Martha lived in Los Angeles during her childhood. She graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School.

Martha married Richard “Dick” Holliday, who was serving in the Marine Corps, in 1956. When Dick’s enlistment ran out, they moved to Corvallis, Oregon where Dick attended Oregon State. After two years, the couple moved back to California, and Martha worked in the insurance industry while Dick completed a degree in business at UCLA.

Martha and Dick adopted their son, Guy, in 1963 and their daughter, Kathleen, in 1965. The Hollidays lived in Walnut, California until Dick signed on to serve in the Marines as an officer to fight Communism in Vietnam. Martha stayed at home to care for her children during these formative years. The family relocated often during their time in the Marine Corps and afterwards until finally landing in Fresno, California in 1977. Martha and Dick divorced in 1987, and Martha continued to work for Cooper Insurance Company until her retirement in 1997.

Martha enjoyed traveling to many destinations on four continents. She was an excellent pianist, an avid reader, enjoyed watching movies, and loved playing cards. In her later years, she moved in with her parents and cared for them until they passed – her mother in 2000 and her father in 2010. Family and friends honored Martha on the celebration of her 90th birthday in Fresno in the summer of 2024.

Martha passed away on May 31, 2025, at the age of 90 after a long battle with cancer. Her remains were inurned at Valhalla Memorial Cemetery in North Hollywood, California, next to her parents.

She is survived by her son, Guy Malcolm Holliday, and daughter Kathleen Tracy Holliday, Guy’s wife, Kimberlee, and their children, Allison and Justin Holliday. Guy and Kathleen were at Martha’s side when she went to be with the Lord.