Martha Virginia (Bailey) Morrison, 92, of Concord, Massachusetts, passed peacefully from her life in the midst of family at the Care Dimensions Hospice House of Lincoln, Massachusetts on June 27, 2023.

Born in Charleston, West Virginia on April 6, 1931, Martha (or Marty as she was known), was raised primarily by her mother, Clyde Bailey, a registered nurse, as her father, Estel, was killed in a motorway accident when Marty was 6 years old. Some years later Clyde married Howard Robinson, who ran a thriving movie theater in Charleston and would be the cherished grandfather of Marty's children. As a young girl, Marty became interested in the local Methodist Church and asked her mother to start taking her to Sunday school. Although no one in her family was particularly interested in going to church, Marty was inspired and went each week; this would be the start of a lifelong journey in the church.

Marty graduated from Stonewall Jackson High School in 1949 and then worked a few years before attending Taylor University in Upland, Indiana where she pursued and obtained two Bachelor's degrees: one in Religion and one in Education (Grades 1-12). Marty played basketball in both high school and college and was an accomplished forward. While in college she married Frederick Morrison, whom she met one summer as a camp counselor. While driving with Fred to their wedding, Marty hit some ice on the New York Thruway and flipped the vehicle, rolling it down a bank. They both managed to climb out unharmed, got a ride to a nearby bus terminal, and took a Greyhound to Charleston where they wed. After their wedding adventure, the newlyweds moved to Woodstock, Vermont where Marty taught Physical Education at the Woodstock High School.

Then Marty spent the next phase of her life being a wife and mom of three children and several household pets: dogs, cats, gerbils, guinea pigs, and a boa constrictor. The family moved to Meriden, Connecticut to a kid-filled, boisterous, suburban neighborhood. While in Meriden, Marty became involved and devoted to civic organizations that prioritized education and women's rights. She administered the Head Start Program of Meriden; she was an active member of the League of Women Voters where she would make meaningful, lifelong friendships. During the summers the family would go camping on most weekends at campgrounds around New England and also take longer trips in their paneled, Gran Torino station wagon to Charleston or to Pennsylvania to see relatives. While most of the family were avid skiers, Marty would gruel through a couple of runs pretending that she was enjoying winter before sneaking off to the lodge so she could sit by the fire and happily read her novel for the day. While many family trips involved recreating, Marty most enjoyed the trips to New York City where the family would explore the city, see a play, find an ethnic restaurant, and most of the time get talked into going to a baseball game. She loved the city's chaos.

When Marty was 45 years old, she started seminary at the Yale University Divinity School where she obtained a Doctorate of Ministry Degree and became an ordained minister at a time when it was uncommon for women to be in the ministry. Her first church was the Sheepshead Bay United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, New York. Her next assignment was in lower Manhattan at the Washington Square Methodist Episcopal Church. Marty lived in New York City for all of the 1980s and from there served as District Superintendent of the Methodist Church in Dutchess County living in Poughkeepsie where she supervised ministers in nearly 60 churches throughout the county. During her time as 'DS,' she started working on global, ecumenical projects which involved traveling overseas to areas of the world such as Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Hong Kong, and China. While in Poughkeepsie, Marty started a later life hobby of painting with watercolors and showed talent while exploring different techniques. Marty also hosted countless holiday gatherings for her children and grandchildren in her welcoming home.

After Marty retired from the ministry, she enjoyed a number of years living at Newbury Court, in Concord, Massachusetts, an independent living facility, where she developed many strong relationships within the community that provided an outpouring of support and compassion in her last months and weeks. Marty also enjoyed attending worship services at the Duvall Chapel at Newbury Court and Saint Matthews United Methodist Church in Acton.

Marty is survived by her daughter, Leslie, her son, Scott, Scott's partner Kate, her grandchildren: Race, Bailey, Emma, and Peter, her great-granddaughter: Ayla, and several nieces and nephews. Marty was predeceased by her son, Gregg, her parents, and her brothers: Raymond and Harold.

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life at the Duvall Chapel at Newbury Court, 80 Deaconess Road, Concord, MA on Saturday, August 12th at 10:30 am. Those not able to attend in person may watch the celebration live  here  . Follow along with the program  here  .

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to the  Southern Poverty Law Center,  PO Box 5632, Montgomery, AL 36177-7459.

Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.