Nancy Martin

Born in New Bedford, a daughter of the late Frank and Ethel (Pierce) Dias, she was nicknamed Nancy by her father and was known as Nancy all her life. She was a lifelong area resident.

Nancy was a graduate of New Bedford High School. She married Leo at Sacred Heart Church, North Fairhaven in September of 1945. She and Leo were very active in parish activities.

The couple enjoyed dancing, bowling, playing cards, watching movies, and weekly family get-togethers. They also enjoyed many trips to Canada, Florida, and California. They were married for 49 years. Together, they were members of Le Cotillion, Association de Canada-Americain, La Ligue des Presidentes, et Le Richelieu Club of New Bedford, as well as Catholic Financial Life.

Nancy became a Certified Dental Assistant in 1961. She worked for Dr. Normand Gamache during the 1960’s and later in the dental department of Lakeville State Hospital from where she retired. She was a member of the Southeastern Dental Assistant’s Association where she served as president and on other committees.

Nancy was an active member of St. Mary’s Guild, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Catholic Women's Club, and the New Bedford Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, serving as President in 1972. She was a member of the Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and the Council of Women Organization. She was an election poll worker in Ward 1 of New Bedford for 34 years, serving as warden for many of those years.

Nancy enjoyed knitting, sewing, doing ceramics, liquid embroidery, watching the Patriots, and reading.

She is predeceased by her siblings, Gladys Seaman, Audrey Paine, Helen Chaves, Marjorie Stuart and Mark Dias. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Tessier of New Bedford, her goddaughter Gayle Brandley and her husband, Paul, her nieces Betsy VanValkenburg, and June Wright and her husband, Russell, cousins, many nieces, nephews, and great and great great nieces and nephews. She was the mother of the late Mark A. Martin.

Many thanks to the staff of Community Nurse of Fairhaven for the excellent and compassionate care and services provided. Special thanks to her hospice nurse, Patty Martin and to caregivers Martina Sommerova, Bernice Perry and Marilou Raposo.

Her Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 10 a.m. in the St. Gabriel the Archangel Church, 343 Tarkiln Hill Road, New Bedford, MA 02745. Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, SC 28607 www.samaritanspurse.org, Operation Blessing, 977 Centerville Turnpike, Virginia Beach, VA 23463 www.ob.org, St. Gabriel the Archangel Church, 106 Illinois St., New Bedford, MA 02745 www.stgabrielnb.org. or Community Nurse, 62 Center St., Fairhaven, MA 02719 www.communitynurse.com. For online tribute: www.rock-funeralhome.com.