Ann Huntington (Jessup) Martin

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution announces with great sorrow the death of retiree Ann Huntington (Jessup) Martin after a long illness.  She was 82.

Ann was born in London, England, and moved with her parents to Woods Hole in 1940. She attended Woods Hole School and Northfield School for Girls.

Ann attended Vassar College and also studied at Westfield College of the University of London in England. In 1952, she was presented at the Court of St. James, where she met Queen Elizabeth.

After graduating from Vassar in 1953, Ann returned to Woods Hole, where she met and married Lowell (Buzz) Martin. Mr. Martin died in June of this year.

She was a reporter for the Falmouth Enterprise. While on assignment with the paper in 1954, she became the first woman civilian to leave Otis Air Force Base by jet plane.

She then moved to Indianapolis, where she was an editor for Bobbs-Merrill Publishing Company. There, she worked on such books as “Atlas Shrugged,” “The Joy of Cooking,” and “Princess – New York.”

In 1957, Ann joined the staff of the Indianapolis Times, where she took on a number of different roles for the paper. “I’m to take pictures, write obits, be understudy for the entertainment page, write some promotional pieces — I guess ‘odd job girl’ would cover it,” she told the Enterprise upon being hired for the position.

Ann began her career at WHOI in 1958 as a photo technician.  From 1960-1976, she worked on a casual basis as a bibliographer and editorial assistant.  She returned to full time in 1976 as a computer programmer, where she was promoted on several occasions.  She retired in 2001.

After converting to Judaism in the late 1970s, Ann was instrumental in establishing the Falmouth Jewish Congregation. She was also a founding member the Woods Hole Folk Music Society and helped launch the first Woods Hole Library plant sale.

Her favorite travel destinations were Israel and the Appalachian Mountains, and she also enjoyed her time at sea on the WHOI ships.

Later in life, she enjoyed singing and playing guitar and mountain dulcimer, often joining the Falmouth Fiddler jams. She also enjoyed reading, gardening, and creating hooked rugs.

She leaves two sons, David H. Martin and his wife, Helen Reuter, of Woods Hole, and Daniel R. Martin and his wife, Susan Wilson, of Scituate; and four grandchildren, Gwen, Ella, Lily, and Anna.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Woods Hole Public Library, 581 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, Mass., 02543.

Information for this obituary is from the Falmouth Enterprise.