Ann Martin

She was 85.

Virginia Ann Martin was born Feb. 16, 1935 in Denver to Percival and Virginia Hobbs, nee McDonald.

A devoted Methodist with a love for music, Ann served as organist at Goode Centennial United Methodist Church in Commerce City, and later was an active congregant at Mountain View United Methodist Church in Boulder.

She was a nurturing mother who instilled faith, hope and music in her children. Ann had a selfless devotion to family, particularly her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

As a homemaker, Ann used a Singer sewing machine to make band uniforms and Halloween costumes. She encouraged study of the arts, music and creativity.

Her guiding hand was not lost on her children.

“She loved life, lived life, and she was the single most influential person in my life,” said Gary Martin, her son.

Ann Martin doted on pets throughout her adult life, raising a Collie, Basset Hound and two Welsh Corgis, dogs which were companions on long walks and added much enjoyment to her life.

She was always happy, with a great sense of humor, smile and laugh, said Mark Martin, her son. She always saw the best in everyone.

Ann Martin enjoyed family adventures - including excursions to the West Coast, camping and fishing trips throughout the Rocky Mountains, to the Denver Zoo and ice skating at City Park.

And she loved her grandchildren. In younger years, the three granddaughters would feign sickness at public school and have the nurse call “Grandma Ann,” who took them home for ice cream and movies, until their parents caught on to the cycle of “sickness” and the sweet rewards.

In addition to three grandchildren, Erin, Kelli and Sarah, she was blessed with five great grandchildren: Chase, Brooke, Jordan, Cale and Samantha.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Gary Emil Martin, who died at age 80 in 2017.

Both graduated from Adams City High School in 1954. She was a drum majorette, he played football. The high school sweethearts married in 1956.

Together, they raised a family in Boulder and spent their retirement traveling abroad before moving to Juniper Village.

“She loved traveling all over Europe with dad and friends. She enjoyed exploring countries and learning about different cultures. She was particularly fond of her trips to Germany and Israel,” said daughter Laura Geppinger.

“That was one of her happiest times,” Geppinger said.

Both Ann and Gary were active in the American Historical Society of Germans from Russian and were involved in genealogy.

She was active in church and had lifelong friends.

Ann Martin is survived by children Gary R. Martin (Linda) of Silver Spring, Md., Mark R. Martin (Debbie) of Lafayette, Colo., and daughter Laura Ann Geppinger (Richard) of Allenspark, Colo., grandchildren Erin van de Boogaard (Ryan), Kelli Deines (Nathan) and Sarah Senescu (Erik), great grandchildren Chase, Brooke and Jordan van de Boogaard, and Cale and Samantha Deines.