Martha S. Tansey passed away July 30, 2024, on her 82nd birthday, after struggling with pneumonia for several weeks. She died peacefully, with her husband holding her hand, at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.
Martha was born in 1942 in Crawfordsville, Indiana, to Agatha Emma (Ward) and Howard O’Neill Sigmond (both deceased). She grew up in Washington, D.C., where her father worked as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice.
After graduating from DePauw University in 1964, Martha pursued teaching and followed her passion for service to the Peace Corps, where she met her husband, Kevin Tansey. Martha and Kevin were married in 1966 in Borneo, Malaysia, during their Peace Corp service (1965-67). In 1969, Martha earned a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Minnesota, and she and Kevin moved to Washington, D.C., where they would make their home for more than 50 years. She worked as a librarian for the Arlington County, Virginia, Public Library System in various roles, including children’s librarian, librarian to the homebound, and reference librarian, from 1969 until her retirement in 2007. In 2020, Martha and Kevin moved to Port Townsend, Washington, to be close to their son and daughter-in-law and beloved granddaughter, Gina Tansey.
Martha devoted her life to the service of others. She volunteered teaching English as a Second Language to immigrants and, later, teaching literacy to adults in inner city Washington, D.C. In Port Townsend, she donated her time to a foster care support agency and to the local land trust, and served on the board of the Friends of the Port Townsend Library. She was also an avid reader and a concurrent member of five book clubs.
Above all, Martha was a remarkable friend to everyone she met, and enthusiastically maintained many close, lifelong friendships over decades and across continents. Martha brought people together. She was cheerful, loving, empathetic and enthusiastic; a gracious host and a wonderful listener with a quick smile and an infectious laugh.
Martha is survived by her husband, Kevin Tansey; son, Ben Tansey (Sidonie Straughn-Morse); granddaughter, Gina Tansey; brother, Ward Sigmond (Suzan Mitchell Sigmond); sister, Helen Sigmond (Jim Lester); brother-in-law, Jim Tansey (Deanna); sister-in-law, Patricia Tansey Zipoli; and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews, and friends who considered her family. Those who knew Martha will never forget her generous and joyful spirit.
A memorial will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Port Townsend, Washington, and online. Details will be shared at bit.ly/marthatansey. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a favorite charity of Martha’s, Remember Niger Coalition, at www.RememberNiger.org.
