Nancy Martin, 61: Starred in inspiring roles

Coming here from Minneapolis in 1979, Nancy Martin got busy right away making her mark in Atlanta.

She rose quickly from volunteer docent at the High Museum to president of the docents, and her two terms in office in the early 1980s were significant years during which architect Richard Meier's new home for the High was built. She also was president of the Assistance League of Atlanta when it opened its new headquarters in Chamblee in 1998.

Mrs. Martin also raised a son and a daughter, continued her practice as an occupational therapist and, as a sideline, partnered in a successful catering business.

Nancy Behler Martin, 61, died at her Dunwoody home Sept. 18 of complications of adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer. Her memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Dunwoody United Methodist Church. SouthCare Cremation Society and Memorial Centers in Alpharetta is in charge of arrangements.

Since her first cancer diagnosis 17 years ago, Mrs. Martin underwent several surgeries as the disease spread.

"The last surgery three years ago cost Nancy her sight," said her husband, Jim Martin," but even that didn't get her down. She continued her work at the Assistance League and enjoyed outdoor activities like swimming with her grandchildren and sailing on our boat off the Georgia coast."

Mrs. Martin also began making presentations to school and Scout groups about blindness, he said.

"Nancy would take along her guide cane and other tools to aid the blind. She would always ask the kids to close their eyes, and she would pass out things to see if they could guess what they were. Then, of course, the kids would have lots of questions -- they all loved it."

"Nancy was the most inspirational person I've ever known," said Lucy Smith of Dunwoody, a longtime Assistance League volunteer. "Even after going blind, she chaired the League's education committee and did chores like stamping bar codes on clothing that the League provides for needy schoolchildren."

Another longtime Assistance League colleague, Liz Kiker of Duluth, marveled at the dignity and grace with which Mrs. Martin dealt with her illness. "Nancy was always so positive and never backed away from a challenge," she said.

Mrs. Martin's interest in art was stimulated by courses she took at the University of Minnesota. Her knowledge of art was broadened considerably, her husband said, by the extensive training required of prospective High Museum docents. She met several times with architect Meier, he said, and as a result was able to communicate his vision for the High to the other docents and visitors.

Occupational therapy was her major in college, her husband said. In Atlanta, she practiced for 20 years, mostly helping patients with varying degrees of paralysis resulting from brain or spinal cord injuries to regain skills that would enable them to care for themselves or even return to work.