Martha A. Mahan

Martha Annora Mahan passed away peacefully on June 18th, 2019 with her loved ones surrounding her. Martha died from late stage Alzheimer’s Disease. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, sisterin-law, cousin and aunt. She is survived by Fred Mahan, Maureen Grainger, Mark Mahan, Grant Grainger, Caroline Grainger, Rose Guidero, Lana Burch, Kathleen Adams-Becker, and many nieces and nephews. Martha was born September 12th, 1937 in Jacksonville, Florida to John Barney and Mary Evelyn Burch. She was the bright-faced, strawberry-blonde baby everyone wanted to meet. Her family moved to Tucson, Arizona when Martha was 13, where she attended High School and went to the University of Arizona, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Spanish.

Shortly after graduating from U of A, she moved to San Francisco, living in a Residence Hall for Women and began attending University Presbyterian Church in Berkeley where she met her husband to be. They married 6 months later in January of 1961.

Martha’s passions included cooking, classical music, poetry, gardening, reading, writing, volunteering, daily walking with Jesus, slowing down to observe the beauty of nature surrounding her and encouraging others. She mastered Middle Eastern cooking and was known to bring fresh Tabbouleh to most occasions. She taught cooking classes and wrote a food column for a while. Music soothed her soul. Martha mostly wrote about the travels that she and Fred experienced together, her attention to detail was superb. She always found the treasured museum that was not in the guide books. Martha’s profound ability to find and read great writers framed her spiritual growth in Christianity. The short list includes C.S. Lewis, Eric Liddell, Oswald Chambers and Corrie Ten Boom. Their extraordinary biographies were inspiring to her.

Above all, Martha loved Jesus and walked with Him daily. She loved her husband, children and grandchildren and friends. She knew the fires of sorrow with the death of her brother Johnny and her daughter Stephanie, but that gave her the strength to encourage others. Martha was a joy-filled woman and her presence among us will be missed tremendously. “Well done, good and faithful servant” Matt. 25:21

Viewing will be Sunday, June 23rd, 6pm-8pm at Duggan’s Serra Mortuary, 500 Westlake Ave. Daly City. Graveside Service Monday June 24th 10am Skylawn Memorial Park.

A Service of Thanksgiving and Hope Memorial will be held in late July, date to be announced. All donations kindly make to the Alzheimer’s Association