Martha Cole

Martha Cole (nee Irvin) died peacefully at home on January 20, 2024. Known by one and all as Marty, she was 94 years old. Marty was born on July 8, 1929, in Punxsatawney, PA, the youngest of nine children. She studied political science at Bennington College before marrying Williams College graduate J. J. Cole in 1950; When he died in 2018, they had been together for 68 years. The couple raised their three children in the renovated stable building of the White Plains Ochs Sulzberger estate; some planks on the childrens' bedroom walls still had hoofmarks in them. Her 'stable' and loving home attracted strays of the human and feline variety, all of whom were welcomed, housed and fed. Marty had a sharp wit and a lively intelligence, was interested in just about everything, and retained every word of every newspaper article she ever read. She was an avid bowler, mah-johng player, and Yankee fan who loved the beach, travel, visiting with friends and family, and playing games of all kinds (especially "Jeopardy"). She will be greatly missed by her three children: Reb Cole of Mohegan Lake, Nancy C. LaCava of White Plains and Tom Cole of Candor N.Y. She was a loving presence in the lives of seven grandchildren: Jordey La Cava, Evan La Cava, Emily Duff, Ben Cole, Nina Cole, Calen Cole, Garth Sutherland. Her first great-grandson, Julian Duff, was born in 2022. In lieu of a memorial service, a celebration of Marty's life will be held in the spring. Donations may be made to Hospice of Westchester or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.