Dorothy Dolores Martin

Dorothy Dolores (Drake) Martin passed away on January 7, 2016 at Poudre Valley Hospital. Dorothy was born to Charles Orville Drake and Virginia Lucile Board on September 29, 1936 in Delta Colorado.

She was raised in Buckeye and Bellevue areas, attending the old one-room Buckeye school, and was the great-granddaughter of William Augustus Drake, Colorado State Senator whom Drake Road is named for.

Dorothy married John Martin June 15, 1958 at the First Baptist Church located on the North East corner of Remington and East Magnolia Streets. (The Stone Church).

Dorothy is survived by her husband John; Three children, Christy Lynne Martin, Scott Allen Martin, Mark Patrick Martin; three grandchildren, Melissa Deann (Martin) Richardson, Rachael Jean (Berubee) Wilbur, Gabriel John Berubee, nine great grandchildren, Amber Wilbur, Aaron Wilbur, Alex Wilbur, Abigail Wilbur, Aiden Wilbur, Adalee Wilbur, Ava Richardson, Aubree Richardson, Autumn Richardson; two brothers, Charles Roger Drake, William Arthur Drake and a number of nephews, nieces and cousins.

Dorothy was an accomplished artist, and was an early member of the Poudre Valley Art League (now the Art Association of Northern Colorado) where she was awarded Life Member status. She was a member of the Pastel Society of Colorado achieving Signature Member status. She was represented by galleries in Fort Collins, Estes Park, Grand Lake and Grand Junction Colorado. She loved to paint in the mountains especially Rocky Mountain National Park and Red Rock Lake near Ward, CO. She produced a considerable volume of serigraph art of Native American themed subjects as well as mountain and wildlife subjects until she could no longer do the silk screening. She then took up pastels and enjoyed that immensely, winning several awards and continued to paint until shortly before her death.

When Dorothy and John were first married they enjoyed backpacking into the mountains and cross country skiing, even doing an overnight trip to Chambers Lake before Cameron Pass was paved or kept open in winter; slept in a 2 person tent in minus 15° temperature. As time went on they moved onto a travel trailer and traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, including 3 extended trips to Alaska where they thoroughly enjoyed watching Coastal grizzly bears fish for salmon at very close distance in Katmai National Park Her most favorite travel destination was the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro, NM where she would spend hours watching birds and wildlife in their natural setting to get ideas for the "next" painting.

Dorothy was a lifelong member from a toddler of the First Baptist Church of Fort Collins, recently renamed LifePointe Church. Her great faith was the backbone of her family, and sustained her throughout her long ill health.

She was a dedicated loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother and was always ready to host a birthday party. Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas were her most joyous times to gather family to her home to celebrate.

A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday at LifePointe Church, 900 E. Prospect. Interment will be held at Resthaven Memory Gardens Cemetery.