Martha Morgan Luzzi

June 29, 1928 - January 5, 2020

After 91 years, Martha Morgan Luzzi entered her heavenly home on Sunday, January 5, 2020, while residing in Westminster, Colorado. She left this earth from natural causes. She was born prematurely in New London, Pennsylvania while her parents were visiting family. At the time, her father, Newlin Morgan, and mother, Sylvia (Troemper) Morgan, resided in Urbana, Illinois. She was born fourth in her family of five children. After graduating from Urbana High School in 1946, she studied music and painting at the University of Illinois, Urbana campus and earned a Bachelor Degree of Fine Arts (also studying music) and a Master Degree of Fine Arts in painting and illustration. During her college years, she was part of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and helped with the preparation and implementation of the very first Urbana Missions Conference.

Upon graduation, her lifelong expression of creativity through art and music began, often in her church’s setting. She also taught painting lessons in a few locations and exhibited her works in various art shows, often winning awards, especially for her abstract and semi-representational paintings. She primarily painted with oils, but also completed many works in watercolor and printmaking. Martha’s love for color and flowers gave her an ability to beautifully decorate for church events. Her gifts in singing and piano allowed her to be a part of leading worship in church settings. Lessons on the pipe organ at Moody Bible Institute gave her the skills to also be an organist in the churches she attended.

On June 10, 1950, she married Frank Luzzi Jr. and they had a family of four daughters, Melissa, Sally, Heidi and Rebecca, all born within a five year period. Martha was widowed when she was 51 years old and learned how to enjoy life without “her Frank” through travel, friends, using her art and music in church at a deeper level, her girls and her grandchildren. A life-long learner, she loved being in the mountains of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, to explore new places and learn all she could about anyone she met. She had prolific pots of plants and loved having bouquets from them in her home. During her lifetime, she lived in Illinois, Indiana, California, Wyoming, Oregon, and Colorado.

Martha was predeceased by her husband, Frank; brothers Newlin and Quentin; sister Sylvia, and her parents. She is survived by her brother, John; daughters Melissa (Wolf), Sally (Ray), Heidi (Chris) and Rebecca (Leon); her 9 grandchildren, Lisa, Michael, Peter, Lori, Kathryn, Megan, Jessica, Lauren and Jeremy; and 16 great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Missions Fund at Calvary Church of Santa Ana or to Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship-University of Illinois Urbana Chapter.