Martha M. Pollack

Martha Marie (Ficko) Pollack, 81, of Carmel, IN, passed away peacefully surrounded by her four children on June 30, 2021 after a battle with cancer. She had been comforted by the outpouring of love from family and friends during the last few months of her courageous journey. Martha was born February 21, 1940 in East Chicago, IN. She graduated from Bishop Noll High School in Hammond, IN and attended St. Joseph's College. She was an active member of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association, and was a parishioner of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel. Martha will be remembered as an innate nurturer with a generous heart and open door policy at her family home, ensuring there was always an extra seat at the table or bed for a friend. She was warm and witty with a playful sense of humor and a girlish laugh you could hear down the hall when she chatted with friends. Martha adored animals, was a QVC enthusiast, and she played the piano beautifully. The kitchen was her playground, she loved cooking traditional Slovak recipes especially baking nut rolls and holiday pastries. Martha treasured family vacations to Hawaii, spending the holidays in Snowbird, Utah, exploring the gardens of England and Scotland and occasional river-rafting and camping trips outside her comfort zone. Martha is survived by her children, Keith Pollack of Carmel, IN, Kurt Pollack of Minneapolis, MN, Jilka Pollack of Woodside, CA, and Jennifer Pollack Bianco of Seattle, WA, her daughters-in-law Elsa Sterling Pollack and Dr. Marybeth Colbert, son-in-law Jeff Bianco and future son-in-law Grant Yonehiro. "Grammy Martha" was blessed with grandsons Seth, Cal and Reese Colbert-Pollack and step-granddaughter Alejandrina (Aguirre) Hage. Holding true to her marriage vows, Martha had been caring for her ailing husband of 58 years, Dr. Charles N. Pollack, when she also became ill. He survives her, along with her sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, cousins, nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her beloved parents Anton and Antonia (Letko) Ficko, brothers Rev. Anthony and John Ficko, and sisters Rosemary and Judith Ficko. Martha was laid to rest at a private service on Saturday, July 3, 2021 at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery in Indianapolis. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sarcoma Foundation of America at curesarcoma.org or Humane Society International at hsi.org in her memory.