Marty Dwyer

Martha "Marty" Maude Dwyer, 62, of Fort Collins, died April 25, 2005, at Hospice of Larimer County at McKee Medical Center in Loveland. Ms. Flaherty was born Aug. 14, 1942, in Mobile, Ala., to Harry Flaherty and Maude Miller Flaherty. She married James "Jim" Dwyer on Oct. 20, 1962, in New York City. Marty and Jim and their family moved to Colorado in 1972. Marty personally embraced a spirit of caring and love for others throughout her life. Her community-building and family-advocacy efforts impacted hundreds of individuals, families and organizations locally, in the state of Colorado, nationally and worldwide. Marty worked with many community-building and family-advocacy agencies, including the Federation for Families for Children's Mental Health national and local chapters; MHSA Partnership; Larimer Center for Mental Health; Colorado Department of Human Services; Larimer County Department of Health and Environment; the District Attorney's Office; Larimer County Department of Community Corrections; Colorado Juvenile Council; Multi-disciplinary Assessment Team MDAT; Realities for Children; National Association for the Mentally Ill NAMI; Lutheran Family Services and Dream-Respite Home for Children. Marty convened the first meeting of families interested in improving access to and delivery of mental-health services in Fort Collins and worked tirelessly with families and the state to develop a mechanism by which families could access state services through a "single point of entry." This reform effort heightened awareness of the gaps in the state's social safety net, improved coordination among state and local service agencies and enhanced families' ability to get support critical to family well-being. Marty addressed and met individually with parents and public school representatives about establishing individualized education programs for children with learning disabilities or other special needs as provided for by federal law. She helped to forge an understanding between public and nonprofit juvenile justice and other organizations that allowed families to take a more active role in the juvenile justice and rehabilitation process. Marty was an impetus for bringing the Multi-disciplinary Assessment Team MDAT to Larimer County and was the reason that MDAT recommended and later established "wrap-around" care for families in Larimer County. Marty, her husband, Jim, and the Dwyer family accepted into their home 12 foster children from all walks of life over a 30-year span. Marty is survived by her husband of 43 years, James "Jim" Dwyer; five sons and their families, James "Jimmy" and Joy Dwyer, of Boston, Kevin and Kelly Dwyer and Brian and Lisa Dwyer, all of Fort Collins, Christopher and Jill Dwyer, of St. Louis, Dennis Dwyer, of Huntington Beach, Calif., Mai-Anh and Sue Kim Tran, Phong Tran, Thu-Hong and Phuong Tran, Thu and Xoung Nguyen, all of Fort Collins, Hung Pham, of Huntington Beach, Calif., Thu-Nga and Ha Tran, of California, Thu-Van and Chiem Pham, of Cincinnati; sisters, Mary and Mathew Griffin and family, of Albuquerque, N.M., Peggy Flaherty and daughters; brothers-in-law, Danny Dwyer, and children, of New York, Jackie Dwyer and children, of New Jersey; 17 granddaughters; eight grandsons; eight nieces; and five nephews. She also is survived by numerous extended family members from Fort Collins and California. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, 5450 S. Lemay Ave. The Rev. Lawrence P. Christensen, C.M. will officiate the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Dream-Respite Home for Children or Hospice of Larimer County in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive St., Fort Collins, CO 80524.