Rose Martin - (1942 - 2013)
A Lifetime Of Telling It Like It Is
It is with heavy hearts that we here at Peace Neighborhood Center regret to inform you that on January 22, 2013, Rose Martin, Executive Director Emeritus of Peace Neighborhood Center, passed away at the age of 70.
Rose has left behind an overwhelming legacy of love and social justice. After helping to found Peace Neighborhood Center in 1971, Rose served as the Executive Director and primary driving force of the organization for over 30 years. Her dedication and commitment to helping those in need throughout the community allowed Peace Neighborhood Center to become what it is today. Thanks to her efforts, Peace has provided programs and services for children, families and individuals focused on self-sufficiency and positive community involvement for over 40 years. In that time, Peace has helped more than 16,000 people in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County through a wide range of comprehensive programs designed to promote education, health, well-being and fiscal independence.
In addition to launching the important and effective programing offered to children at Peace Neighborhood Center, she especially excelled at extending rehabilitative adult services to those in need. Whether it was preventing a family’s heat from being shut off, enrolling someone in substance abuse recovery support, or simply driving a client to a job interview, Rose Martin time and again demonstrated remarkable compassion and strength to everyone who passed her way. After Rose's retirement from Peace, her work with those in need in her community continued with Rose’s Good Company, a second chance organization designed for the unemployed, the homeless, dependent children, ex-convicts and recovering addicts.
This brief summary cannot hope to encapsulate the bright soul of Rose Martin. She was not afraid of life’s challenges in her pursuit of what was right. One could not accuse her of being a wilting flower. She was one Rose Blooming, a voice of compassion and a hero to a great many individuals throughout Washtenaw County and abroad. She was an inspiration and it is our distinct pleasure to be a part of her legacy, the Peace Neighborhood Center Family. She will be missed.
To make a donation to Peace Neighborhood Center please go to this link. [link needed]
