A Life of Faith, Service, and Showing Up for Others

Martha Devitt

I’ve known Marty for most of my life.

When I was a little girl, she used to come into my mom’s restaurant. Her son Rob was in my class growing up, so I got to know him through school, CCD, and church. Because of that, Marty has long been a familiar presence in my life and in our community.

But knowing someone and truly understanding their story are two very different things.

Maybe it’s because I studied psychology, but I’ve always been fascinated by people’s lives—what shaped them, what they went through, and how those experiences turned them into the person they are today. As Marty approaches her 80th birthday later this year, I was genuinely excited to finally sit down with her and hear her stories in her own words.

Marty is someone people notice right away. She can be loud at times, and she’s very direct about what she thinks. But beneath that bold personality is someone with a very big heart.

Marty doesn’t just tell people she cares about them.

She shows it.

After my mom passed away, Marty wrote me a heartfelt note about how much she loved her and brought food to our home while we were grieving. It was a quiet act of kindness that meant more than she probably realized.

As we talked, I began to see how deeply service and compassion have shaped her entire life.

Marty was born on December 28, 1946, in Long Beach, California, the youngest of four children. Today she is the only surviving sibling, but she loved them all dearly.

Growing up, Marty spent summers with her grandparents in South Dakota—memories that remain meaningful to her even today.

Her family placed a strong emphasis on education and achievement. Her father attended Georgetown University, served in the Navy, and later became a lawyer. Her mother attended the University of Minnesota and also worked in federal government positions. She was also involved in political work and helped with presidential campaigns.

The two met while working in Washington, D.C., and although Marty described them as complete opposites, she said they truly loved each other.

Because of this, Marty grew up surrounded by people who held influential roles in their communities.

She’ll tell you about that history with a certain pride—and understandably so.

But when I asked her what it was like growing up around prominent people, she explained that titles and status never impressed her the way people might assume. What mattered most to her was whether someone was simply a genuine and kind person.

That perspective stayed with her throughout her life.

From a young age, Marty developed a strong sense of independence. She was academically driven as well—so much so that she skipped a grade and graduated from high school at just 17 years old.

When it came time to think about college, she didn’t wait for someone else to guide her path. She visited colleges on her own before eventually choosing Dominican College, where she studied economics.

But Marty was searching for something deeper than academics alone—a sense of meaning and purpose.

That search eventually led her to enter the Dominican convent, where she spent time exploring religious life and deepening her faith. Marty actually entered the convent twice in her life—leaving once, returning again, and eventually choosing a different path.

Even so, faith remained an important part of who she was and how she lived.

In 1982, she moved to Napa, California, where she has lived for more than four decades.

Marty went on to earn her Master’s degree in Special Education and became a teacher working with children with disabilities. Her dedication to her students was recognized when she received the Teacher of the Year Award from the Napa County Office of Education.

Throughout her life, Marty found many ways to serve others. In addition to teaching, she also spent time working as an EMT, continuing a lifelong pattern of showing up for people in moments when they needed help most.

But perhaps the most defining chapter of Marty’s life has been the children she welcomed into her home.

Over the years, Marty fostered 35 children, opening her doors to those who needed stability, care, and love.

The first of those children was Rob.

When Marty first saw him, she remembers thinking to herself, “I think I’m in love,” because she thought he was absolutely adorable and he immediately touched her heart.

Rob came into Marty’s life just before his third birthday. After spending a year in her classroom, she became his foster parent and welcomed him into her home shortly after his fourth birthday. By that time, he had already faced enormous challenges early in life. He had experienced abuse and malnourishment and was still nonverbal. He is deaf and autistic and has cerebral palsy. As an adult today, he also manages diabetes.

But Marty never saw him as someone defined by those challenges.

She saw his potential.

She believed in him fiercely and advocated for him every step of the way. Rather than keeping him separated from other students, Marty worked hard to ensure that Rob could be included in regular classrooms whenever possible—surrounded by peers and given the opportunity to grow alongside them.

With the help of a dedicated student aide and Marty’s unwavering support, Rob continued to move forward.

At one point, it took him nearly fifteen years to complete his associate degree.

But he never gave up.

When Marty told me that story, she laughed and asked,

“Would you stick with something for fifteen years like that?”

I had to admit that I probably wouldn’t.

But Rob did.

And that perseverance is something Marty has always been incredibly proud of.

When I visited their home recently, I had the chance to spend some time with Rob myself. I brought my mom’s dog, Gracie, with me, and Rob absolutely lit up when he saw her. When it came time for photos, Rob happily joined Marty for a portrait together, smiling beside her.

Today, Rob remains one of the greatest joys in Marty’s life. In the nearly 38 years they’ve been family, she told me they have spent only about ten days apart.

That kind of devotion says everything.

For the past five years, Rob has found his own way to give back to the community. Each week, he and Marty collect cans and bottles and bring them to the recycling center. With help from neighbors and friends who save their recyclables for them, Rob has raised more than $8,000—and he has donated every single penny to charity.

His weekly efforts are a simple but powerful sign of Rob’s commitment. As Marty put it, “He truly blows me away.”

As we continued talking, Marty reflected on some of the moments in her own life that meant the most to her. She spoke about how much it meant when her family showed up for her during important milestones—like the day she received her master’s degree and they came to celebrate her graduation.

Those moments of love and support stayed with her.

Feeling deeply supported by the people she loved made a lasting impression, and it shaped the way she lives her life today.

In many ways, Marty has spent the rest of her life doing the same for others—showing up for them, supporting them, and celebrating the moments that matter. She even showed up to the grand reopening of my photography studio, something that meant a great deal to me and is just one small example of the way she quietly supports the people in her life.

When I asked Marty what brings her the most joy in her life today, her answer was simple:

“My family.”

And when I asked what makes her smile, she said:

“My son… and babies.”

When I asked her if she had any advice for living a long and happy life, she laughed and said something that felt very much like Marty:

“Just be happy. It’s a choice. You have to choose to be happy—and forgive and give.”

When I asked what kind of legacy she hopes to leave behind, her answer was just as sincere.

She told me she doesn’t care about recognition or whether anyone remembers her name.

What matters most to her is knowing that God worked through her to help other people.

If her actions made someone’s life better—even in a small way—then that is enough.

Listening to her say that, it became clear that Marty’s life has never been about attention or praise.

It has been about service.

About faith.

And about showing up for the people who need it most.

And I can say from my own experience that she has done exactly that.

Marty’s life is a reminder that the greatest legacy a person can leave behind isn’t fame or recognition—it’s the difference they make in the lives of others.

Because in the end, a life like Marty’s isn’t defined by what someone says.

It’s defined by how they show up for people.