PORTLAND – Martha Hamilton Finlay passed away on Sunday Feb. 6, 2022, after 90 wonderful years of grace, kindness, and love for those around her. She was at home in Portland in the company of her family who was everything to her.

Martha Elizabeth was born on Oct. 17, 1931, in the great city of New York, N.Y. She was the only child of William Coulter Hamilton and Charlotte Louise Terhune. She grew up in the town of Hempstead on Long Island, New York, in a neighborhood adjacent to Mitchel Air Force Base, now the home of Hofstra University. She and her best friend E.J. would see the war planes coming and going overhead.

Martha or “Marty” as she was called did well in the Hempstead Schools – Central Service Squad, Creative Dance Club, Honor Club, and she was a “Patriot”! She went on to Skidmore College and majored in biology. While at Skidmore she met some of the greatest friends of her lifetime. Sally Sanderson (Cutler) was her freshman roommate. She and Sally instantly bonded and had a great college experience. They went on to travel Europe after graduation in 1953 and remained the best of friends for the next 70 years. Her classmates wrote about Marty in the yearbook – “enthusiasm plus, love of life … sunshine wherever she goes … always thinks first of the other person … warmth, spontaneous laughter …”

Martha lost her father while at Skidmore and her mother shortly after graduation. She moved to Boston after graduation to be with her college friends and worked at the Deaconess Hospital. It was in the Boston Area where she met George Ellis Finlay Jr. The two were on a double date, not with each other. They switched partners and were wed in May of 1957. They lived in the Marshfield Hills area of Massachusetts until 1964. They had three kids, Beth Ann was born in 1959, Dana Elizabeth in 1962 and Bradford Hamilton in 1965. They moved to Duxbury, Mass. in 1964 where the family would spend the next 25 years. A beautiful coastal town with many fond memories for all.

Martha and George raised a litter of golden retriever puppies in 1962 and golden retrievers have remained part of the Finlay Family to this day. Tammy, Clipper and Feather will be forever remembered.

Martha also loved to cook. For years, she and her friend Sally would make chutney in the fall after the plum harvest. And holidays were always filled with family favorites.

After raising the kids, Martha went on to tutor deaf students in the Duxbury School system. From there she worked in retail for several years and ultimately found her calling at J.P. Morgan Chase in Boston. There, her bright welcoming smile would be the first thing clients would see as they entered the firm. She took pride in always presenting a positive attitude and professional manner, as well as having a smile for everyone she met.

Her husband, George, passed away in 1996 unexpectedly at 66 years of age from appendicitis. Martha continued to work in Boston for the next nine years and traveled to Maine on the weekends to be with her kids and grandkids. She retired in 2005 and moved to Maine permanently. Shortly after moving to Maine, she re-discovered her love for the game of bridge and met many wonderful friends. The game and those friends brought her years of social engagements and happiness.

Martha was an only child who had just one cousin, Richard “Dick” Terhune. The two remained close throughout their lives; and much to Martha’s delight, Dick and his wife Gretchen moved back to Maine in 2006. This move brought the two of them and their families even closer.

In March of 2020, Martha, like many others, did not want to die alone in the hospital because of COVID. She needed more care than her three kids could do on their own though. Contacting Hospice of Southern Maine was the best decision. They extended and improved her quality of life, and the quality of life of those around her. We are eternally grateful for the amazing care that she received through Hospice of Southern Maine.

Caregivers: Bonnie, Nancy and Nigel took care of Martha during the day. Even as things got challenging, they showed up with a smile every day, prepared her wonderful meals and played the ever-popular game of 5 Crowns. It can’t be overstated how much happiness they brought her.

Martha is predeceased by her husband, George; and her one and only cousin, Richard Paul Terhune.

She is survived by her daughter, Beth Doran and husband Robert of Scarborough, her daughter, Dana Finlay – Ben of Portland, and her son, Bradford Finlay and his wife Claire of Portland. She is also survived by her six grandchildren, Hillary Doran of Middletown Springs Vt., Drew Doran of South Portland, Meg Finlay of Portland, Isabel Ben of Portland, Myles Finlay of Portland, and Lillie Ben of Waldoboro. She is also survived by her two great-granddaughters, Rose and Freya.

Due to COVID, a celebration of life will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Hospice of Southern Maine.

Copy the Story Link