Martha Virginia Melin was born July 11, 1936, in Joliet, Illinois to George and Virginia Melin. Raised in Morgan Park, and later Hinsdale Ill., Marty was the youngest of three children, with two older brothers, Jack and Herb. She graduated from Hinsdale High School in 1954 and enrolled in the University of Colorado, Boulder. Marty was a Kappa Kappa Gamma and in 1956, met the love of her life, Lisle Thomas “Tom” Woodford. Marty and Tom were married in 1958 and Marty taught fifth grade in Boulder to support Tom, while he attended law school. Once she had children, Marty immersed herself to raising her three girls. At 40, Marty went to graduate school at CU Boulder, earning a masters degree in Guidance and Counseling. Marty was a high school guidance counselor at several Jefferson County high schools, spending the bulk of her time at Alameda and Arvada High Schools.
Marty loved to travel, visiting Europe and communist Russia in 1957. She and Tom traveled extensively, they cruised the Panama Canal, enjoyed a two month trip to New Zealand, golf trips to Scotland and Ireland with good friends, a photo safari in Africa and several trips to Hawaii to name a few. She also enjoyed dozens of trips to Mexico with family and friends. She cruised the Amazon River and hiked Machu Pichu with her daughter Karen.
Marty also enjoyed skiing, golf, reading, tennis, and any activity that involved being in or on the water. She was a hiker, birder and for many years owned her own little blue canoe. She loved spending time with her grandkids and enjoyed taking community education classes through OLLI West.
She was a devoted wife to Tom and exhibited amazing strength through his lengthy illness, losing him 5 months shy of their 60th wedding anniversary.
She was immensely proud of her daughters, Karen Flanagan (Dan), Ann McGowan and Jean (Tom Norris) and her granddaughters Erin, Devon and Megan McGowan. She is also survived by her brother Herb Melin.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in her honor to either The Action Center, 8755 W. 14th Ave., Lakewood, CO 80215 or Lutheran Collier Hospice, 8300 W. 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033.
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