Martha Keef Strout

On March 23, 2023, Martha Strout departed this world almost two years to the day after her husband, Ronald Strout, passed away. Martha was the yin to Ron’s yang, and an amazing mother to their three children, Aaron, John and Heather Strout, as well as to their respective spouses, Melanie, Larrissa and Lee. She was also a loving grandmother, dear friend, and dedicated member of her church in Maine.

She was a kind and gentle person, particularly when it came to her eight grandchildren, Olivia (23), Ben (21), Audrey (15), Owen (16), Sophia (14), Ella (10), Calvin (9) and Ohlen (7). Martha was patient to a fault whether it was reading a book, taking the kids on trips to Alaska, playing board games, acting out scenes from Star Wars, building sandcastles and visiting regularly, even after they had moved to distant places like Washington, DC, Austin, TX and northern California. She was the “Grammy” that everyone in life deserves.

Martha was born in Windham, ME and was the daughter of Jean and George Keef. The oldest of six, she shared a particularly close bond with sister Karen, and four brothers Dan, Ed, Bill and David. They grew up in a farmhouse across the field from her maternal grandparents, Helen and Ross Donahue.

In 1963, life for Martha and the Keef family changed profoundly when Norwegian exchange student, Inger Myrsted, joined them for her senior year of high school. Not only did Inger become a sister and daughter to the family but she spurred a thirst for adventure and travel in Martha and Ron. The bond increased when Inger married one of Ron’s best friends, John Riley, making the two couples inseparable for the rest of their lives.

The experience of welcoming Inger into the Keef family early on also inspired Martha and Ron to become hosts for several foreign exchange students. Martha and Ron stayed particularly close with students, Maria Barros and Andrea Marasco. Martha also loved to travel and enjoyed visiting new places to learn about history and culture. She was also a great travel companion because she was always along for the adventure. Martha and Ron were also fortunate to spend a year in Belgium which offered the opportunity to travel to many other European countries and to share their little apartment with family and friends wanting to see Europe.

In 1976, Martha and Ron moved from Windham to Melrose, MA, raising their three children there before relocating to Ormond Beach, Fla. in 1986. They returned to Boston in 1992 for several years before moving to what would be the couple’s dream house in Nahant, MA in 2002. Martha loved the ocean and would take walks most mornings with Ron or her local friends. Martha also loved spending time at the couple’s cabin in Maine, where she found serenity in the woods and next to the lake.

In life, Martha often shied from the limelight, but was always unfailingly supportive of anyone needing love, encouragement or assistance. Her steadfast faith and calm demeanor provided much comfort to family, friends, and those who contacted her for support. She served in many capacities in the various churches she and Ron belonged to.

Martha was not a laugh out loud person, but when she did it was infectious. She was also a voracious reader and loved to learn new things. She was an exceptionally good listener and genuinely curious about others, always asking thoughtful questions and actively listening. Like her parents, she derived great joy from nature and was always a strong advocate for the environment and wildlife, consistently supporting global organizations like Oxfam and The Nature Conservancy. (Nature conservancy donation page: https://preserve.nature.org/page/81523/donate/1?) (Oxfam donation page: https://give.oxfamamerica.org/page/37044/donate/1?)

The family will be hosting a virtual celebration of life on April 22 at 1:00 PM ET as well as an in-person service in Maine during the summer of 2023. Details will be shared on Martha’s Facebook page soon.