Martha Poppy

Martha Chandler was born in Keene, New Hampshire on February 6, 1929 and died in Roseville, California, on the morning of January 31, 2013, six days before her 84th birthday. She is survived by her husband, four children and nine grandchildren.

Martha attended the University of Michigan from 1947 to 1951, receiving her degree in the School of Art and Design. After graduation Martha married her medical student husband James Poppy on June 28, 1951.They lived in Ann Arbor eight years, and their children William, James, Susan and Martha were born there. In June of 1959 they moved to Menlo Park and Atherton, California, and resided there until her husband retired from medical practice in 1987. Marty and Jim fell in love with Sun Valley, Idaho in the winter of 1961 and returned with family and friends annually until they became permanent residents in 1987. They lived on First Avenue South in Hailey and on Deer Creek Road before moving to their current home at the Valley Club in 2000.

Martha was a loving mother, accomplished artist and a woman with many and diverse interests including athletics. She loved distance running and won the Pike's Peak Marathon in her age bracket in 1977 at the age of 48. She was a ski instructor at Squaw Valley, California in the 70s and 80s and was an able windsurfer. In 1987 she was recognized with a cover story in an international windsurfing magazine.

In California Marty was a tennis enthusiast. Under the direction of friend and Stanford Tennis Coach Dick Gould she helped initiate and develop round robin tennis tournaments in the Bay Area for local residents who wished to support Stanford tennis. Later they initiated the annual Tennis High Ball Classic at Tahoe City, California. In 1991 Martha funded a trust to provide ongoing support for Stanford tennis.

Marty loved climbing mountains. She hiked a major portion of the John Muir Trail in California and reached the summit of the tallest mountains in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, New Hampshire and Maine. In winter she crossed the Sierras on skiis from Tom's Place to Huntington lake and skied the Haute Route in the European Alps on standard nordic skiis with pin bindings. In the Himalayas she completed the Annapurna Circle, and hiked to the base camp of Everest with a side trip to the 21,000 foot summit of Island Peak. In Pakistan she climbed above the base camp of K2 and to the bases of Gasherbrum 1 and 2 and to the base of Broad Peak in the Baltoro Karakoram.

For the past three years she has been a resident in memory care in Roseville California because of progressing Alzheimers dementia.

In 2004 Jim and Marty created the Martha Chandler Endowed Scholarship Fund at the School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan. The scholarships assist with financial aid for qualified students entering the School of Art and Design. Memorial contributions may be made in her name by sending a check paid to the order of The University of Michigan and designated for the Martha Chandler Endowed Scholarship Fund. Send to Ms. M. A. Bankert, The U of Michigan School of Art and Design, 2000 Bonisteel Blvd.,Suite 2055, Ann Arbor, MI 48108.