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Obituary for Martha E. Condit
Martha Echlin Condit, 85, of Bloomfield Hills, passed away peacefully at Faith Hospice in Grand Rapids, surrounded by her sons on September 16th.
When hearing that Martha was the mother of five boys, most folks told her “You must be a Saint.” Mom was a Saint and much more. She was a lifelong Catholic who quietly practiced her faith and brought others to the Church (and more than a few back to the Church). Over the years Mom was a parishioner at Gesu Church (Detroit), St. Michaels (Southfield), Holy Name (Birmingham), St. Regis (Bloomfield Hills), St. Hugo’s (Bloomfield Hills), and St. Mary’s (Charlevoix). She met many of her close friends at church with a smile & hello.
Mom was born on June 18, 1935 and grew up near Detroit’s Gesu Parish with her brother Pat, her sister Jane and cousins George, Walter & Peter Kelly. The neighborhood around Gesu was always active, and Mom recalled that one only had to step out into the street to find adventures from hide-n-seek in the summer to ice skating in the winter. She also fondly remembered spending summers at Higgins Lake. Mom graduated from Immaculata High School in 1953 and from University of Detroit in 1957.
Mom attended a party in fashionable Ferndale and caught the eye of her future mother in law (details are sketchy but it appears that her future husband was busy playing pool and didn’t notice any girls at the party). At the suggestion of his mother, Richard Condit asked Martha Echlin on a date and they were soon inseparable. They married in 1957. Mom didn’t particularly like the term “Soul Mates” but it is an apt description of their life together for almost 50 years of marriage. Their love, devotion and respect for each other was an inspiration to all who witnessed them together.
Mom was blessed with lifelong friendships – the famous “Bridge Club” included friends dating to grade school (this group, as far as anyone can tell, never played Bridge but they sure did have fun!). She maintained a very busy social life which included daily Mass, time with her children & grandchildren, and Bridge with real card players. She loved Charlevoix getaways and had a special “take time” spot where she would drink her morning coffee and watch the day begin on the lake. Mom loved to travel and the family travelled extensively together – by car, camper, plane, train, sailboat and cruise ship.
Martha is preceded in death by her mother Helen Echlin and her father Edward Echlin, her sister Jane Echlin Hilton, her brother Pat Echlin, and her husband Richard Condit. She is survived by her 5 sons and 5 daughters-in-law: Don & Sue of Grand Rapids, Mike & Marleen of Bloomfield Township, Steve & Anita of Pewaukee WI, Kevin & Nancy of Missoula MT, and Brian & Janae of Beverly Hills. She is also survived by 17 Grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren: Pat (wife Meghan & children James & Elizabeth), Maggie (husband Dan Gibson & children Patrick & Michael), Anne Marie (husband Dan Talbot & child Molly), Katie (husband Ben Fortener & children James, Owen, Andrew), Dan (wife Jenny), Kevin (wife Paige), Kerry, Jack, Jeff (wife Jessica), Nikki, Mary Jo, Tanner, Aidan, Colin, Regan, Shea, and Liam.
The family is extremely grateful for the wonderful medical care provided to Mom in the Grand Rapids area and we would like to thank the caregivers at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, and Faith Hospice at Trillium Woods.
Visitation will take place at Lynch & Sons in Clawson on Friday, September 18th from 4pm to 8pm (1368 N. Crooks Road, Clawson MI 48017). Funeral Mass will take place at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament on September 19th at 10 am (9844 Woodward Avenue, Detroit MI 48202).
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Lourdes Senior Community, Mother and Unborn Baby Care of Southfield, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Better yet, Mom would love if you said the Rosary in honor of something you feel grateful for (like a Mom who is a Saint).
