Martha Grace Likens Spudis

Martha Grace Likens Spudis, aged 95, passed peacefully on August 3, 2023 at Salemtowne Retirement Community, Winston-Salem, NC, where she has lived for over ten years.

Martha was born on February 28, 1925, in Richmond, VA, to Everett Ray Likens and Elizabeth Clarissa Gibson Likens. Her father was a math and French teacher in Kentucky, after serving in WWI as a military balloonist in France, mapping and calculating enemy lines. Martha grew up in the Washington, DC area with her brother, Jonathan “Jack” Winfield Likens, and graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High, in Greenbelt, MD. Martha enjoyed summers with her many aunts in Richmond, Virginia, and learned piano from her grandmother, Grace King Gibson. Following graduation in 1943, Martha worked to pay her way through college.

Martha earned her Bachelor of Arts as an English major from the University of Maryland, where she was an enthusiastic Kappa Alpha Theta sorority member. Then, she returned to live at home while she pursued a master’s degree in English. Martha spotted the love of her life, Edward V. Spudis, when he walked into the French Department office where she worked, to sharpen his “pencil”, which turned out to be a pen.

After college, Martha was honored to be hired by the Latvian Legation in Washington DC, in a somber and highly disciplined office that documented World War II tragedies and genocide in Latvia.

Upon Ed’s graduation from medical school in 1953, Martha and Ed were married and moved to Detroit, Michigan for Ed’s internship at Detroit Receiving Hospital.  Martha took a position as an Administrative Assistant in the medical clinic of General Motors.  Martha’s first daughter was born in that hospital.

In 1955, they moved to Rochester, Minnesota for Ed’s neurology residency. Daughters number two and three were born at the Mayo Clinic. Following three snowy years in Rochester, the idea of relocating to warmer North Carolina was inviting and in 1958 they moved to Winston-Salem where Ed joined the faculty of the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. 

For the next fifty years, Martha participated in all aspects of the Winston Salem community.  Martha was a Girl Scout parent, leader and District Board member, a substitute teacher for the Winston-Salem School System, President of the Forsyth County Medical Auxiliary, and neighborhood PTA President. She was also active in the League of Woman Voters and the Garden Club.

In the early 60’s, Martha sought spiritual resources for herself and her family. Martha found a group of like-minded thinkers to launch today’s thriving Unitarian Universalist (UU) Fellowship. Martha and Ed continued to attend the Fellowship for almost 60 years where Martha served on every committee and even accepted a term as President of the Fellowship.  A favorite photo is of Martha, in white pumps, shoveling red clay at the groundbreaking of a new UU building addition.

In 1965, Ed joined a private practice at Forsyth Medical Park while continuing to teach at the Medical School. For many years Martha was employed as Office Manager of the busy practice.   

Over the years both before and after Ed retired, Martha arranged for some wonderful travel for them to explore other cultures around the world, including travel with the Winston-Salem Friendship Force, to Rostov-on-Don, in Russia. 

Martha had wide-ranging interests and hobbies.  She played the piano beautifully and could play any tune that you could hum.  She took classes at the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and explored oil painting, among other media. She loved to read and at one point was an active member of no less than three book clubs.  She worked in her garden growing roses and a bumper crop of tomatoes every summer. 

Martha began gathering and editing Ed’s draft poems and humorous narratives.  The first collection, Brainstem Storms, was published in 2004, followed eventually by six more volumes, that concluded with Circling the Lifespan, in 2017. The activity was a joint project for years.

Those who knew her came to appreciate her intelligence, kindness, grace, warm heart and sense of humor.  Martha never met a stranger and could strike up a conversation with anyone.   We loved her dearly and she will be missed beyond expression.

Martha Spudis is survived by her daughters, Martha Ann Spudis, Barbara Spudis de Marigny, Kathleen Spudis Poole, son-in-law Christopher Kent Poole, and grandchildren, Jonathan “Jack” Kent Poole, Emily Caroline Poole, Kelly Christine Poole, Charlotte Mary de Marigny and George Edward de Marigny.

Her family would like to express their gratitude to the devoted members of the Salemtowne staff who have provided loving care to Martha in her final years.