ORDEMAN, Martha
Age 97, passed away on May 29, 2022, with her family by her side. Martha grew up in Westport, CT, where she met the love of her life, Skip, on the steps of the YMCA. She attended the University of Connecticut where she became a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She graduated in 1947. She and Skip were married the same June. They lived most of their early married years in Westport before moving to Dayton in 1963.
While raising five children, Martha still found time to volunteer. She was involved in many organizations such as Dayton Children's Hospital, AFS, Smith Gardens and St. Paul's Episcopal Church's Alter Guild. She was most proud of chairing the group of volunteers from St. Paul's that delivered meals for Meals on Wheels. She was best known for being there to help others in need. Many have enjoyed a meal from Martha delivered on a tray complete with homemade dessert and a flower in a small vase.
She was a competitive person when it came to sports and games. She enjoyed playing golf and bowling throughout her life. She was on the same bowling team, the Alley Cats, for over 50 years. She was a sharp card player. She continued to beat her family in Casino and double solitaire up until her final days. She was also in several bridge groups until 2020 when COVID prevented them from meeting.
Martha was a woman with many talents. She was a wonderful cook, an experienced seamstress and an avid gardener. She knitted beautiful sweaters for her family and made many cross stitch and embroidered items for family and friends. She was quite the "handy woman". She wallpapered, she painted, she made slipcovers and could fix about anything. She was one of the first among her friends to get a computer. After that she became Skip's secretary, typing many letters and notes for him and helping with all the committees he was on.
Skip and Martha traveled to many places in the U.S. and in other countries but their favorite home away from home was their condo on Sanibel Island. There they created many wonderful family memories. They were avid shellers. In their later years, they enjoyed sitting on the porch, looking out at the gulf and watching the younger family members continue the tradition of shelling.
Martha loved her family more than anything. She was a very caring and supportive wife, mom, grandma and great-grandma. She and Skip attended all their kids' activities and attended as many of the grandkids' activities as possible. She was predeceased by her husband Richard "Skip" Ordeman who died in 2020. They were married 72 years. She is survived, dearly missed and remembered by her children Susan Duncan (Jack), Janet Campbell (Doug), Nancy Downey (John), Linda Miller (Mike), Rick Ordeman (Constance), 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
The family would like to thank all the caregivers from Loving Senior Home Care and the nurses and therapists from Fidelity that gave Martha such wonderful care. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at 1:30 PM at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 33 W. Dixon Ave., Oakwood, OH. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Dakota Center, 33 Barnett Street, Dayton, OH 45402 in Martha's memory. To share a special memory or leave a message for the family, please visit www.tobiasfuneralhome.com.
ORDEMAN, Martha
