Obituary of Martye Hubbard

Born in Islandmagee, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland to Mary and Robert Adair. Martye was one of 9 children. She trained at the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast, studied midwifery at the Rottenrow Hospital Glasgow and took Queen’s District Nursing training in England. She had lots of good stories about private country nursing in N. Ireland. During World War II, as part of the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service, Martye was one of the first British nurses to arrive at the port of Ackyab, Burma where she was responsible for 2 Casualty Clearance Stations. There she nursed on river barges, picking up the fallen allied and enemy soldiers from Casualty Clearance stations along the Brahmaputra River. Her wartime experience in Calcutta, New Delhi and Burma as a British Army lieutenant and nursing sister was a period of many highs and lows. After the war Martye was married and had one daughter, Sandra. She accepted a Queen’s District nursing position in the same community in which she was raised (Whitehead, Ballycarry and Islandmagee). This salaried position came with a house and a car. The many babies she delivered were paid for in chickens, butter, eggs, vegetables and doll clothes sewn for her daughter, Sandra. Martye immigrated to Canada with Sandra in March 1954 to a position of Director of the Shelburne Hospital. She moved to Kitchener in 1956, became Night Supervisor at the KW Hospital and joined the Kitchener Public Health Dept. in 1958. She returned to school, first to the University of Toronto to get her Br. Queen’s District Nurse Canadian equivalency, Public Health Nursing, in ’62-’63 and then to Dalhousie University in ‘70-’71 to get her Public Health Supervisors’ qualifications. She became Associate Director of the Waterloo Region Public Health Dept. until her retirement in 1980. Martye, although a very private person could kick up her heels with the best of them. One learned very quickly that you did not ask Martye her age. She felt age was only a number and she defied all who tried to categorize her. She respected people who had worked hard, as had she, and accomplished their goals. She loved adventure—travelling to all parts of the world and of course to her beloved N. Ireland to see her family. Her whole family was inspired by her to be adventurous. Martye had always been an avid walker and reader. After retirement, Martye joined the KW Garden Club and volunteered for many years at Meals on Wheels, St. Mary’s Hospital, the May Court shop and St Andrew’s Thrift Shop. She is predeceased by siblings Clarke Adair (killed in WW2 off the coast of Aruba), Patricia Colling (who also served in WW2), Berta Ferguson, Jackson Adair, Vera Graham, Crawford Adair and great granddaughter Hope Monaghan. Survived by her loving daughter Sandy Mader and her friend Harv Rabe, and sisters Nan Burns in N. Ireland and Reta (Lesley) Graham in Australia. Fondly remembered by grandchildren, Dr. Richelle Mader Monaghan (Michael), Dr. Ryan Mader (Kristi) and great grandchildren, Jonah Monaghan, Saidi Mader and Nyomi Mader and many nieces and nephews in N. Ireland, Wales, England and Australia. Many thanks to the Tuesday Hospice Day Program, University Gates (Sunnyside) Day Program and Respite Care, Hospice volunteer Mary Stevens, several wonderful compassionate friends, the many PSWs who cared for Martye at home, especially Susan and “Heather the nurse”, and Dr Susan Seyler and Dr. Donna Ward. Friends are invited to share their memories of Martye with her family during a memorial visitation at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., on Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 1 – 1:45 p.m. with a Memorial Service to follow in the chapel of the Funeral Home at 2 p.m. Reception to follow. Condolences for the family and donations in lieu of flowers may be made in Martye’s name to Hospice of Waterloo Region, Lisaard House, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church or May Court through the funeral home at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.