Patricia Martin

Patricia O'Neill Martin (Trish), 79, passed away on December 4, 2023, in Eden Prairie, MN. Born in Glen Ellyn, IL, to Peggy and Elmer O'Neill, she lived most of her life in Long Lake, MN, with her husband William (Bill), who preceded her in death in 2020. She is survived by her four children, Lauren (Rick Hellebrand), Michelle (Robert Radtke), Christopher (Allisyn), and Emily (Scott) McPherson, and six grandchildren, Alexandra, Eva, Oliver, Georgia, Adeline and Theo. Her whole family was beside her during her long journey through hospice. Trish's life was a quiet revolution - she went against the grain. When Bill and Trish moved to the Twin Cities in 1973, they bought a place in the country, and even as the suburbs grew around them, Trish maintained their old farmhouse. She cared for her family and her surroundings through craft and using her hands. She built toys and a dollhouse, made clothes, and taught herself home repair from a "how to" encyclopedia. She was a "maker" before it was a movement. Her other passion was cooking and learning how food can be good for the soul and the body. Dinner was a labor of love. She shaped every aspect of the farmhouse into a home, including proudly displaying artwork from Aunt Honey, Grandma Flora, and her mother Peggy. No home of Trish's was ever complete without a Sheltie underfoot! Trish had a deep and spiritual connection to horses and was a dedicated horse trainer and rider - a total horse person! She spent her days with her horse, Ashley (and before her Blue Eyes), and her "barn friends," or at St. Edward's with her "church friends," where she served on the altar guild, as senior warden, as an elder, and as a choir member. Trish spent the last 15 years of her life helping her husband Bill live with Parkinson's disease as his steadfast caregiver. After it was no longer possible to remain at the family home in Long Lake, she was grateful and relieved to be able to move next door to her daughter Emily and her family. "The Compound", as we called it, became the hub for weekly family gatherings and Trish was able to meet her granddaughter at the bus stop after school, create works of art with her grandchildren and host nourishing meals for the family. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's shortly before Bill's death, which progressed very quickly after his passing. In her final days, she put down life's armor and became even more connected to those around her as she relied on them for the very things she spent her life providing. We are deeply indebted to the staff at Flagstone in Eden Prairie for caring for her in her final years. Throughout Trish's life, she slowed down and listened to her family and friends, connected to animals, birds, plants and the natural world. Trish had a sixth sense for tuning into the subtleties of life, patience, care and artisanship. She displayed and lived these virtues deeply but did not broadcast them loudly. She was the root structure for her large and flourishing family. Her essence now radiates into the world through her children and grandchildren. She had a strength and resolve that was unwavering, a steely backbone that was the foundation of her family. All of us who were gifted with knowing her will miss her spirit and heart. A funeral service will be at St. Edward the Confessor Episcopal Church in Wayzata, MN on December 16, 2023 at 1:30pm with a reception and celebration of life at 3:00. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Interfaith Outreach in Plymouth, Minnesota (https://www.iocp.org/). Trish worked with this organization to help support refugees from Iraq in the early 2000s.

Tributes

Patricia Martin

August 9, 1944 - December 4, 2023

Tributes

Patricia Martin

August 9, 1944 - December 4, 2023

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