Martha McMaster Quimby
Jan 10, 1930 -
Oct 21, 2021
Martha "Marty" McMaster Quimby was born on Jan. 10, 1930, at Walter Reed Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., to William Robert McMaster and Edna Crusius McMaster. She passed away on Oct. 21, 2021, at the age of 91.
Marty grew up traveling the world as part of an Army family, living in many parts of the U.S. After two tours of duty in the Philippines in the 1930s, her family returned to the U.S. at the dawn of World War II. While her father went off to fight in North Africa, Marty, along with mother and brother, lived with family in Oregon.
After high school graduation, she attended Mills College in Oakland, Calif., where she studied art, with an emphasis on drawing. At a dance with the Coast Guardsmen from the Alameda station she met her future husband, Thomas W. Quimby. After graduation in 1951, the two became engaged and married on Jan. 3, 1953. They went on to raise a family of five children.
Marty once said all she wanted on her obituary was: She was born and then she died. But in between those two events she did so much more than merely exist. She lived a very full life and was grateful for all she'd seen and the people who touched her life as much as she touched theirs.
During her life she worked many fascinating jobs including computer programming using punch cards before returning to college to earn her RN. She loved working in the Emergency Room and when the family moved to Alaska in 1977, she worked the ER at Providence Hospital. In the 1980s, she worked for the State of Alaska as an itinerant Public Health Nurse and felt privileged to see practically every corner of the state. She retired from the Alaska Department of Corrections as Nurse Coordinator in 1996.
Outside work she had many interests and was a big supporter of the arts and contributed time and talent to the One Percent for Art Council, Anchorage Opera, Anchorage Museum, and Anchorage Spinners and Weavers Guild. She was very involved with St. Mary's Episcopal Church. She loved to travel and learn, and over the course of the years she made many friends from all walks of life. One of her great loves was watercolor painting, which she continued until a few days before her death.
Marty is preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, Thomas Wallace Quimby (d.1995); parents, William R. and Edna C. McMaster; and brother, William H. McMaster.
Marty is survived by her children and their spouses: Helena and Bob Modell, T. Bart and Sandra Quimby, John Quimby and Kate Egan, Karl and Coral Quimby, Gretchen and Jim Neeley. She is also survived by grandchildren: Kristina (Gregg) Stevens, Shauna (Erick) O'Brien, Thomas (Mandy) Quimby, Michael (Dene') Quimby, Sarah Quimby, Bryan (Callie) Quimby, Donald Quimby, Sam Quimby, William Neeley and Parker (Abby) Quimby. At the time of her death, Marty had 12 great-grandchildren, all of whom she dearly loved.
A virtual memorial service will be held by St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Anchorage on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, at noon. See qfam.info/MartyQuimby.htm for details and to email memories to the family.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested contributions be made to the Mills College Alumnae Association, University of Washington, or the charity closest to your heart.
At Marty's request, she is being cremated and her ashes will be spread over Cook Inlet to join those of her husband.
