Barbara Jean Sheely Martinka died Monday, May 13, 2013 at her home in Longmont at the age of 89. Born in Ft. Collins, Colorado on March 29, 1924 to Margaret Hovey Harpster Sheely and Arthur Charles Sheely, Barbara attended school in Fort Collins and graduated from Ft. Collins High School before attending Dickenson Secretarial School in Denver. Barbara and her family supported the war effort and after WWII, at a USO event, she met Charlie J. Martinka. On December 14, 1947, they married. They lived in Denver and Cheyenne before Chuck was discharged from the Air Force; at that time they moved to El Campo, Texas where Chuck was briefly engaged in the trucking business before returning to Ft. Collins in 1949.
In 1954 the family moved to Longmont where Chuck worked as owner/manager of Sheely Motors Inc. (later Prestige Motors). She worked part-time at Sheely Motors and volunteered at Longmont United Hospital. In 1969 her husband Chuck founded Shee-Mar Inc. and together they enjoyed many “road trips” that combined business and pleasure while Chuck sold turn signal cams to parts stores around the U.S. Barbara was primarily a homemaker and mother who loved hosting family barbeques, shopping and buying stuff for her grandkids, listening to “big bands,” and reading. She not only loved to dance but loved doing so in the living room with her grandkids whom she attempted to instruct (not always successfully). She had a great sense of humor, even when the jokes were terrible. She was a great supporter of her children and grandchildren, even when they were totally wrong.
The couple moved to Baytown, Texas in 2001, but health concerns brought them back in 2005 to Longmont where they enjoyed closer proximity to family.
Barbara is survived by her husband of 65 years; her daughters Sally (John) Gaddis and Sue (Michael) Knaus; grandchildren John (Kate) Gaddis, Christopher (Katie) Gaddis, Katharine Gaddis, Caroline Knaus, Kirk Knaus, Julie Knaus, and Jay Knaus; and great-grandchildren Aiden, Grant, Cole, Clare, Ty, and Griffin Gaddis. Additionally, Barbara is survived by her sister Caroline Sheely Farrell of Greeley and numerous nieces and nephews.
Barbara was a member of LifeBridge Christian Church. A celebration Barbara’s life will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 17th at Howe Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the Longmont Community Foundation, A Woman’s Work, or the donor’s charity of choice c/o Howe Mortuary.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18