Ruth Marie Martin

Ruth Marie Martin, 47 years old, was a resident of Carlsbad, New Mexico. She passed from this life to be with the Lord on April 11, 2023, after a brief battle against aggressive brain cancer. She is survived by her mother, Darlene (Collins) Martin, and six siblings: David (Carla) Martin, Rachel (Randy) Adamson, Deborah (Duane) Hinshaw, Timothy (Teresa) Martin, Tabitha (Steven) Spitzer, and Sarah (Jason) Meisel. Her numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and one great, great nephew will miss their Aunt Ruth. She is preceded in death by her father, Julius Oren Martin.

Ruth was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1976. She grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico, graduating from Las Cruces High School in 1994. Ruth attended college at Lee University in Cleveland, TN, earning a degree in Intercultural Studies in 1997. She received her MA in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University in 2001. Ruth was an instructor in Communications at Southeast New Mexico College (formerly NMSU-Carlsbad) from 2020 until her death. Previously she taught Speech and Communication at Blinn College in Bryan/College Station, TX from 2014-2020. Before she began teaching in higher education, she was a multimedia specialist at the University of Texas at El Paso from 2010 to 2014.

Ruth’s world travels began with a summer Mission trip in high school to Albania in Eastern Europe. She then spent her senior year of high school as an exchange student in Germany. While in college she completed a practicum in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, also spending a semester working in Germany. In 2011 Ruth converted to Catholicism. Her discovery of the Camino de Santiago, the Way of Saint James, became a bridge between her love of adventure and her faith. She walked and biked the Camino four different times, following different routes. She volunteered at the Pilgrim’s office and told anyone she met that they should join her. This pilgrimage was a condensed symbol of her spiritual walk and connected her with newfound friends from all over the world.

Ruth was an accomplished quilter; the complete process of design, cutting, piecing, and hand quilting to fashion an heirloom became her creative outlet. She was an avid reader, always looking to learn something new whether from fiction or nonfiction. Ruth loved her nieces and nephews (in each of the three generations below her) and she consistently prayed for them. Walking and hiking with her beloved dogs consumed her everyday life. Ruth’s sense of humor and radiant smile will be missed greatly by each family member, friend, and colleague.

Memorial Mass

Queen of Peace Catholic Church

1551 Belvidere, El Paso, TX 79912

April 21, 2023

11AM