Martine Mattingly Millay

Mary Martine Mattingly Millay, loving wife of Herbert Millay, devoted mother of five, grandmother of fourteen, and great-grandmother of ten, peacefully passed away on June 9th at the new Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. She was 79 years old. Martine was the daughter of Martin and Mary Eva Mattingly of Maceo, KY.

An expert at sewing, crafts, and crocheting, Martine enjoyed creating items for family and friends. She was a member of the Maceo Homemakers and a good Southern cook, making her signature dishes of banana salad and cole slaw for many a family or community gathering. Martine was the artist behind many of the stained glass crosses and windows fashioned by her husband Herbert. She also took time to chronicle several notable events her family experienced over the years. Her accounts of the 1988 great explosion in Henderson, Nevada and the Kentucky ice storm of 2009 have been used in emergency preparedness research, as demonstrations of how people respond and how neighbors help neighbors in times of disaster. Ever expressive, friends and family will remember some of her favorite adjectives and expressions, such as, "Well, did you ever!"

In addition to being a homemaker, Martine had many professional outlets. She was employed by GE in Owensboro, a working partner in Millay Plastering in Juneau, Alaska and the owner of the W4M Company in St. George, Utah. Martine also worked as a travel agent in Juneau and as a legal administrative assistant for a law firm in Owensboro.

She and Herbert Lesley Millay were married on June 1st, 1952 in St. Peter's Church Rectory in Stanley, KY. They enjoyed square dancing with different square dance clubs in Kentucky, Alaska, Utah, and Nevada; watching NASCAR racing, and traveling together. Martine enjoyed the adventure of viewing the southeast Alaska ice fields from behind the windshield of a helicopter. Although she didn't particularly enjoy eating fish, Martine was quite a fisherwoman, with notable catches such as a 40-pound king salmon and one 110-pound halibut in Glacier Bay, Alaska.



In addition to her husband of 61 years, Herbert, Martine is survived by her daughters, Rosa Payne Millay of Owensboro and Susan (Chuck) Duval of Juneau, AK; her sons, Michael (Kathleen) of New Holland, PA Kevin (Sally) and Mark (Christine), both of Juneau, AK; and her sister, Rosalie Berkshire of Maceo, KY.

Last June her children and her very dear friends Larry and Rosemary Conder surprised Martine and Herbert with a 60th anniversary Mass and celebration at Sts. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church, where Martine and Herbert have been active members for the last almost twenty years.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Martine will be celebrated Friday morning at 11 AM at Sts. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church at 609 East 4th Street, Owensboro. Visitation will be on Thursday from 4-8 PM (Prayers at 7 PM) and on Friday after 9:30 AM at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory.

In lieu of flowers, donations could be made to the Sts. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church for its community service ministries.

Condolences may be offered online at www.glennfuneralhome.com.