Ann Grey Martin passed away early in the morning of October 9, 2026, at The Brennity, a senior living community in Vero Beach, Florida.

Ann was born on November 25, 1932, in Ansted, West Virginia. She and her sister, Kay Hanson, were the daughters of Arthur Rezzonico and his wife, Myrtle (née Lowry), who everyone called Sunny.

After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Ann would meet her future husband, Frank, during graduate school at Duke University, where they both earned degrees in Physical Therapy. They were married May 19, 1956.

In 1968, Ann and Frank moved into a beautiful old house in Worthington, Ohio, where they raised a family of five children. During this time, while Frank worked to support the family, Ann dedicated herself to raising their children and restoring and decorating their circa 1900 home, as well as its large yard. Once all her children were in school, Ann returned to practicing physical therapy, treating veterans, homebound patients, and children with disabilities.

In Ann’s house, the true hub was the kitchen. Someone, it seemed, was always in there. And more than likely it would be several people, whether getting a glass of water, juice, or milk (no other choices), making a bowl of cereal, cutting up fruit, broiling cheese toast, or making a sandwich – the action never stopped. In the afternoon, the whole house would fill with the aromas of Ann’s dinner plans. A pot roast with root vegetables? A roast chicken? Fresh soup from scratch? It would be Ann’s yodeling of “Yoo Hoo!” ringing through the neighborhood at dusk that signaled to her children it was time to come home from playing and find out.

All the Martin children would come to a complete understanding of the importance of working the soil. Gardening was a way for her to teach about hard work and resilience but also teach about each individual’s connection to the land. That connection with the Earth stayed with her all her life.

And with the land came animals, both wild and domesticated. Wild animals found a haven in Ann’s yard. She refused to use poisons on her property and took immense joy in something as simple as finding a toad in the garden.

The nature of this Mountain Mama was perhaps best reflected in the seemingly endless array of domestic animals in her home. Like caring for the land, Ann felt strongly that correctly caring for animals was a true and important responsibility. So, at the same time as she indulged her children’s love for animals, she made sure they did it right. The Martin house had birds, mice, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, lizards, cats, rabbits and dogs in an endless parade. Ed, a miniature brown rabbit, escaped and lived in the backyard; next season, “Ed” had a small litter of bunnies. There were piglets clattering about the house at different points. And even a domestic mallard duck lived mainly outside for almost 6 years. Ann christened her Baby Dumpling.

In addition to all this, Ann ran an open house -- good friends and neighbors knew they could come and go as they pleased. A verbal “Knock, knock!” as you opened the door was all that was necessary. Her children knew them all by name. This was just part of why Ann formed so many lifelong, deep, and fulfilling friendships. She invited people right into her life, and they continued to be drawn by her energy and her sense of humor, which could be a little wicked sometimes. You knew when Ann had friends over because their laughter filled the house.

Ann and Frank were both natural athletes, and that was an essential part of life for both of them, and an integral part of their relationship. And any part of it that could be done outdoors, all the better. Ann’s fondest memories, in this regard, were being introduced to so many active pursuits at youth camp and college. It was there she discovered her favorites, horseback riding and badminton. She also learned to shoot a rifle and won awards doing it.

Ann became very involved in tennis and played in many tournaments, both singles and doubles. Mixed doubles meant playing a dangerous opponent when matched with Ann and Frank. They would become avid cyclists, as well, riding with groups of friends on long tours throughout the Ohio countryside. And organized Square Dancing came into their lives later, which they both adored, and, if you ever saw them dancing together, you’d understand why. Especially if you were ever lucky enough to see them doing the Jitterbug. They were dynamite together on a dance floor!

All this time, Ann kept antiquing and became quite an interior decorator, finding eclectic old pieces to restore and add to the house. She ended up with a home filled with unique pieces that all worked together to say, “Yes, this is a beautiful house, but above all it is a house to be LIVED in.” At no time was this more evident than during her yearly Christmas eggnog parties. Those were the finest examples of her ability to bring together her family, her friends, and their families in a true spirit of togetherness and joy. She had that knack.

After Ann’s husband Frank became ill, she felt it necessary, even though it would mean leaving behind all her good friends, to relocate to Vero Beach, Florida in order to get better care for him, to be near her mother Sunny, and to have the support of living next door to her sister Kay, who had lived in Vero for over 35 years and raised her own family there.

As you might guess, during her 20 years in Vero, Ann’s new house once again became an active hub in so many people’s lives. Between her children, her grandchildren, and all her wonderful friends, “visiting with Ann” became something that had to be scheduled, like booking time at a spa. She loved it, and everyone who visited loved it, too. In fact, more than a few of Ann’s children and friends moved down to Vero themselves. And Ann continued staying active, taking up golf and, of course, playing like she’d been doing it all her life. She continued playing golf into her tenth decade, just like her mom, Sunny.

Ann’s final home also contained a beautiful collection of art, and a visitor with a keen eye might notice some fine watercolors on the wall of the kitchen, including particularly excellent small portraits. These were painted by Ann herself after moving to Florida. It was stunning to her children. Here was a talent they had never seen or heard about. “I just stopped when I had you kids,” she’d say, leaving them to wonder what else was hidden behind her sometimes-confounding privacy.

Near the end, Ann took a fall and took to her bed. The last words she spoke to one of her daughters were, “Well, I’m not going to die. That’s for sure.” Amen, Mom. All of us lucky enough to have known her will see her again; fireplace aglow, she’ll be standing next to a Christmas tree, in a beautiful sweater, holding two glasses of eggnog and saying, “Welcome home.”

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In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Visiting Nurses Association at foundation.vnatc.com.

Thank you for loving our mom and being a part of her life. We would love for you to share a special memory or story with us! Sincerely, Julie, Kay, Glenn, Molly, and Brady.