Martha Ellen Walsh

Martha Ellen Kilcoyne Walsh (née Henderson), 1926-2024, passed away peacefully on November 4, 2024, at 97, in Worcester's Knollwood Nursing Center. She was predeceased by her parents, Martha and Sparks Henderson, and her siblings, Alice, Ann, George, and Jim.

Raised on a farm in Fincherville, Georgia, Martha embraced her Southern Baptist roots before heading north to Massachusetts, where she married her wartime sweetheart, John Kilcoyne, and converted to Catholicism. She was a fervent volunteer, notably leading Sunday School and sharing the bible stories that were central to her faith. Martha's commitment to her church and community was profound; she founded the first Homemaker-Home Health Aide program within the Diocese of Worcester, touching many lives with her care and dedication.

Education was a priority for Martha, not only for her four children, whom she ensured all graduated from college but also for herself. At 47, she earned a degree in Social Work from UMass Amherst, later retiring as the State Child Support Enforcement Unit director in Massachusetts. The governor recognized her exemplary service with a proclamation for excellence.

Returning to her agricultural roots in later years, Martha cultivated a thriving vegetable garden in her Florida home. She rejoined the Baptist faith, becoming a cherished Ipswich Immanuel Baptist Church member. Her life was a testament to her love for others and her community. We thank the many people at her church and Ipswich downtown businesses who watched over Martha as she aged.

Predeceased by her loving husband, Robert Walsh, and daughters-in-law, Carol Broadbent Kilcoyne and Dorothy Lipchek Kilcoyne, Martha's legacy lives on through her children: Sean Kilcoyne of San Francisco, CA; Stephen Kilcoyne of Sterling, MA; Elizabeth Kilcoyne and her husband Denis Robert of Newburyport, MA; and Martha Kilcoyne and her husband John Voyta of Berlin, MA. She also leaves behind her cherished grandchildren— Patrick Kilcoyne of Maynard, MA, Dianna Ambach and Marleen Kilcoyne, both of Sterling, MA, Meg Clark-Kilcoyne of Portland, OR, Gregory Voyta of Waltham, MA, Anna Clark-Kilcoyne of Colorado Springs, CO, Carolyn Voyta of Sherman Oaks, CA, and her four great-grandchildren, Owen, Kate, Archie and Colette.

Her funeral service will be celebrated at the Immanuel Baptist Church, 45 Central Street, Ipswich on Monday November 11th at 11:30AM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Contributions should be made in Martha’s memory to Knollwood Nursing Center, at www.knollwoodnursingcenter.com/about-knollwood/give-gift-caring/ , who took phenomenal and loving care for three years.