Barbara "Jeannie" (Johnston) Martin

Barbara Jean Johnston Martin was born on June 30, 1939 in New Orleans to Margaret McCubbin Johnston and Clyde William Johnston. She passed away peacefully at her home on January 9, 2024, surrounded by loved ones in her final days. Always and only known as “Jeannie”, she graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Mary’s Dominican High School before marrying the love of her life, Robert Joseph Martin. Jeannie and Bob enjoyed 63 years of marriage, raised their children in Metairie, and later made homes in Kenner, Waveland, Mandeville, and Covington. Jeannie was preceded in death by her son Robert Joseph Martin, Jr., and is survived by her devoted husband, Bob, brother Frederick Joseph Johnston (late wife Lynn) of Houston, sister Julie Johnston Cambre (Jay) of Metairie, daughter Robin Martin Eckert and son-in-law Charles Gregory Eckert of Madisonville. She was the most loving and cherished “Granny” to her granddaughters Heidi Eckert Sharemet (John Patrick), Allison Eckert Beebe (Daniel), and Margaret Eckert Delchamps (Evans), great-grandchildren Elenora Clare Beebe, Philip Dreux Sharemet, Eloise Catherine Beebe, newborn baby Bridget Jean Sharemet, as well as two more great-granddaughters expected in the spring. She was a favorite sister-in-law, aunt, cousin and friend to a host of relatives and loved ones and will forever be remembered for her warmth, genuine concern for others, and feisty personality. Always the life of the party and a bit of a rebel, she refused to allow a November 2022 pancreatic cancer diagnosis to crush her spirit and take away her joie de vivre. She continued to work in her garden, teach line dancing classes, lunch with her Dominican classmates, pressure wash her driveway, bake birthday cakes, sew variety show costumes, pull weeds from her lawn, play pokeno with her Metairie girlfriends, iron her pillowcases, shop for bargains, thoroughly enjoy her wonderful life at Christwood Retirement Community, and most importantly, spread love and joy up until the very end. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic Church in Mandeville on Wednesday, January 17 at noon, visitation beginning at 10:00am, interment in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 in New Orleans. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Samaritan Center, 402 Girod St. Mandeville 70448.