Marilyn E. Martin, 81, a Willow Street, PA, resident, and a registered nurse for more than 40 years, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 21 after a lengthy illness.

She was the wife of Gerald Martin, who she married on Oct. 16, 1965, and the mother of Dianne (David) O'Connor of Millersville.

Born Marilyn Elizabeth Elsie on October 25, 1942, in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada, she grew up in Attercliffe, Ontario. She earned her nursing degree in 1964 from the Mack Training School for Nurses in St. Catherines, Ontario. After serving as a nurse in Ontario and meeting her husband there, she came to Rochester, N.Y. in 1966; she lived there until 2004.

After retiring to Bluffton, S.C., she moved with her husband to Willow Street to be near their daughter and son-in-law.

She was an operating room nurse at Rochester General Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester and was director of nursing at the Rochester Presbyterian Home. As a nursing director, she was also instrumental in opening Kirkhaven Nursing Home in Rochester. She retired from Rochester's Highland Hospital as an operating-room department supervisor.

She was very involved in her churches, specifically as a Daughter of the King and Stephen Minister at Church of the Cross, Bluffton, SC and was known as a square dancer, photographer and was an accomplished cake decorator.

She traveled widely across the U.S. and Canada, and made trips to England and the Caribbean, and was part of a nursing conference in the former Soviet Union.

She was one of five children of Harry and Sadie Simpson Elsie. She is survived by her older brother, Harold (Evelyn) Elsie of Oakville, Ontario, Canada, and was preceded in death by her oldest brother, Orlon Elsie and two younger brothers, Kenneth (Elda) of Smithville, Ontario and Barry (Janice) of Welland, Ontario. She also is survived by numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, April 6, at Grace Church of Willow Valley, 300 Willow Valley Square, Lancaster 17602, with the Rev. John F. Smith officiating. Visitors will be received beginning at 10 a.m., with the service at 11 a.m. and a luncheon to follow.

While flowers are welcome and may be sent to the church by Saturday, April, 6 donations are encouraged to be given to the Deacons Benevolent Fund at Grace Church at Willow Valley.

This event will be live streamed via the funeral home website and available for future viewings.