Martha Dillon

Obituary of Martha Olga Dillon

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On Thursday, August 17, 2023, Martha O. Dillon (Getz) of Great Falls, VA passed away peacefully.  She is predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Francis H. Dillon Jr., granddaughter Kimberly C. Dillon, daughter-in-law Patrica J. Dillon, grandson Timothy D.H. Dillon and parents Charles and Olga Frieda Getz. 

Martha is survived by her seven sons, Hank, Tom, Pete, Tim, Dan, James, Doug, and their wives: 19 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.  Martha met Frank, a World War II paratrooper in 1946 and they married in August 1947.  Martha and Frank raised seven boys all while Frank served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, as well as overseas assignments to Haiti, India, and Pakistan. 

Professionally, Martha was an early childhood educator working as a teacher at the kindergarten at Fort Holabird, Maryland, and the Village Green Day School in Great Falls.  Martha was active in the Great Falls community as well as a founding member of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church.  At St. Catherine’s, Martha was a member of the Bell Choir, activity director for the “Over 50 Club”, the St. Catherine’s representative to the Great Falls Ecumenical Council, and the Children’s choir director which for many years provided the music for the Christmas Eve Children’s Mass.  As a testament to her love of cooking,

Martha was also a founding member and contributor for the Great Falls cookbook, “A Cook’s Tour Through Great Falls” initially published in 1978 by the Catholic Community of Great Falls.  While raising seven boys, Martha was involved in various levels of Scouting during overseas assignments as well as in Great Falls, serving as a Cub Scout Den Leader and Boy Scout merit badge counselor.  In the summers, Martha organized and ran the concession stand for the Great Falls Rapids Swim Team home meets.   Community members would recall Martha selling hot dogs and Krispy Crème donuts which she picked up in Alexandria at 4:00 am prior to the swim meets during the seasons when her sons were on the team.  Martha and Frank were also avid sailors plying the Chesapeake Bay on their 36-foot sailboat, “The Seven Sons”.  With their sailing partners, Adian and Eileen Duffy, Martha and Frank sailed to Bermuda as well as along southern coast of Ireland.   

A funeral mass will be held in her honor on Friday, August 25, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Great Falls. A reception will follow the mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Goodwin Living Foundation, Hospice Fund, https://goodwinliving.org/giving/contact/ or Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, https://saintcatherineschurch.org or the Vinson Hall Foundation, https://www.vinsonhall.org/foundation. Email condolences may be made at: adamsgreen.com

 

Friday
25
August

Catholic Funeral Mass

11:30 am
Friday, August 25, 2023
St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
1020 Springvale Rd
Great Falls, Virginia, United States
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Martha Dillon

In Loving Memory

Martha Dillon

1927 - 2023

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