Barbara Martin

Barbara E. Martin, 56, of Lake Forest Park

Barbara Martin was a lifelong teacher at Meadowdale Middle School in Lynnwood who, over the course of a 31-year career, ''only taught in two rooms,'' said her husband, Ron Martin.

Though such chores as grading papers had become burdensome in recent years, ''she still loved the kids,'' and had continued substitute teaching after retiring two years ago.

She was born in Alexandria, Va., and moved in 1952 to Seattle, where she graduated from Queen Anne High School, then from the UW in 1967 with degrees in education and political science. She began teaching in 1968.

She and her husband, retired varsity baseball and swimming coach at Meadowdale High School, decided not to have children, instead enjoying teaching, but not doing what their parents had done ? working to age 70.

''We wanted to enjoy the younger age of retirement,'' he said, not worrying about money and figuring they could also get jobs in fast food. Several months ago it became clear that he couldn't go with her on the trip to Mexico because of coaching commitments.

The two kept in touch by phone and e-mail, with her last message arriving Wednesday morning that she was about to go on a tour. ? Peyton Whitely