October 1, 1950 - June 23, 2023
Martha Nance Howell, 72, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2023, after being diagnosed with cancer in April. She was a positive, loving and warm presence and never lost her strong spirit, always insisting that “what you need is there for you.” Even in her final days she continued to say “all is well” when asked how she was.
Martha was born October 1, 1950, to Sara and James Dallas Howell Jr. in Tallahassee, Fla. She moved to North Carolina as a young girl, first to Charlotte and then the family settled in Jamestown, where she attended Ragsdale High School. She was an excellent student, graduating sixth in her class and named “Most Likely to Succeed.” She went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southwestern College (now Rhodes College) in Memphis, Tenn. She maintained friendships with many beloved friends from high school and college.
In Memphis, she met and married Charles Sneed, father of her beloved children Caroline, Rachel and Adam. Together with a group of fellow Southwestern graduates, teachers and community members, Martha and Charlie founded A Learning Place (ALP) in Memphis in 1973. It took enormous personal courage to launch this radical educational experiment in such a conservative culture. ALP challenged the meaning of school and impacted the lives of its students and their families during its five years existence and in the decades since. Martha and Charlie moved in 1978 to Hendersonville, N.C., where their three children were born and raised.
As a young woman, she loved painting, weaving and basket making and taught Bradley childbirth classes. Near age 40, she had several major health “adventures,” leaving her hemiparetic, but still working full time and raising her young children.
Martha had a long and treasured tenure at Blue Ridge Community College as the director of community enrichment. She absolutely loved her job and programming arts and culture events for the community, such as Music by the Lake, Arida Arts Symposium, Celebration of Women in the Arts and many more. She was a very active member of St. James Episcopal Church in Hendersonville for decades, teaching Sunday School to the little ones and serving on the vestry.
She so loved her home and garden in Hendersonville and the wonderful community of friends she built there over four decades. In 2017, in light of her increasing health needs, she moved to Seattle to be close to all three of her children and her only grandchild. It was difficult for her to say goodbye to Hendersonville but she quickly grew to love her Seattle life and found a church home at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church.
She is preceded in death by her father and mother, her sister Sara, brother Jim and nephew Bud. She is survived by her three children and their partners — Caroline (Dan), Rachel (Matt), Adam (Carah) and her grandchild William.
Martha supported all kinds of arts and environmental organizations. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in her memory be sent to an organization that is meaningful to the giver. Some of her favorites were Heifer Project, Sierra Club, and local art and theater organizations.
The family is eternally grateful to her caregivers, Sigge and Hilda, whose devoted and loving care surrounded Martha until her final breath, and also her children as they spent her final months at her bedside.
The family will hold a private memorial celebration this summer to scatter her remains from a sailboat per her wishes.