Obituary of Dawn Martz

Dawn Martz, age 69, née Dawn Esther Swader, died of heart failure on October 17, 2018, at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. She was a resident of Sunrise Senior Living, Marlboro, NJ. She was born in Montour Falls, NY, to Mary and Nicholas Swader. She was predeceased by her parents; by her brother Dennis Reppert and his wife Wendy; by her brother Bill Swader and his wife Becky; by her brother-in-law Jack Magacs. She is survived by her husband Louis, of Freehold, NJ; by their son Eric and his husband David Kucharski, of Washington, DC; by their son Ian and his wife Alexandra Takeva, of Brookline, MA; by her brother Fred Swader and his wife Nancy, of Lewisburg, PA; by her sister Jean Magacs of Trumansburg, NY; and by three generations of nieces and nephews. After graduation from Odessa-Montour High School, Dawn earned a BA in English from Oral Roberts University and an MA in English from the University of Minnesota. She first became a teacher in Keokuk, IA, then an administrative assistant at Yale University. She was married for a few years to Richard Fern. In 1975, she and Lou met through mutual friends, and soon lived in the Indian Neck area of Branford, CT. They raised their family in Rumson, NJ, later on spending winters in the Killearn area of Tallahassee, FL. Dawn loved being outdoors: hiking in Acadia National Park, family trips to Cape Cod, or just a cool autumn breeze. Her taste was for things traditional: pine furniture, good grammar, turtlenecks, literary fiction, a silver flute, shepherd’s pie, perhaps a nice cup of tea. In light of Dawn’s work on the family history, please share your favorite stories and old pictures. Funeral arrangements are private to the immediate family, but in lieu of flowers or gifts, you may make a memorial contribution to: Fulfill 3300 Hwy 66, Neptune NJ 07753 http://fulfillnj.org/ America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend 4446 Entrepot Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32310 http://www.fightinghunger.org/ “A good life is a life of goodness.” [Emily E. Smith: NYT 9/4/17]