Martha Dawson (Dawson) King

Martha King, age 95, beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, died on Monday, February 6, 2023. Martha was born in Havana, Cuba on Tuesday, December 13, 1927. She was born to American parents who both worked for the National City Bank of New York which became Citibank. She and her brother Joseph Dawson were raised by loving parents and a dear nurse who had emigrated from Spain and became their "second" mother. The family lived in a home belonging to a widowed aunt who had moved back to the States for approximately 8 years. She and her family enjoyed the beautiful life found in Havana before Castro came into power. Weekends were spent at Playa de Jaimanitas where families shared a cabana. Martha is survived by her children and their spouses; Elizabeth King Ettema and Dale Ettema, Kathleen King Minor and Thomas Minor, Helen King Barley and Michael Barley, and Robert King and Susan Mathews King. She is also survived by her grandchildren and partners; Taylor Ettema and Marie Howell Ettema, Claire Ettema Williams and fiancé Joseph Brick, Garrett Minor, Jillian Minor, Kyle Barley and Katie Barley, Bryn Barley Pires and Emanuel Pires, Julia King Reges and Brett Reges, and Kathryn King. Martha is also survived by a new and lovely generation of great-grandchildren; Paige Williams, Gene Ettema, Ray Ettema, Avery Barley, and Nile Barley. They were able to meet their great-grandmother at LaVida Llena where Martha resided with her husband James C. King who died in 2011. They moved there in 2005 after having lived in their last home in Albuquerque for 34 years. She cherished her time and memories with nieces, nephews, and cousins. She is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph F. Dawson and Dorothy Sharman Dawson; and her younger brother, Joseph S. Dawson. Martha lived a very peripatetic life of exciting events and change of scenery. As noted, she was born in Cuba but later moved with her family to Santiago, Chile as per her father's position with the National City Bank of New York. While still living in Havana, there were many revolutionary uprisings and dangerous situations that affected her family's lives. A bomb was set near their home, a man was shot and killed in their yard, and her parents were gassed at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. And her father kept three guns in his underwear drawer. At times the family slept on the floor and sometimes sought refuge in Key West. She also lived through several cyclones. She and her family also lived through the massive 1939 Chilean earthquake. As a young child her first two languages were Spanish and English. She later acquired French during her school years as a day student in Santiago where she was taught by very strict French Catholic nuns. Martha was an excellent student and received many scholastic awards. The convent school was bereft of any luxuries, amenities, and basic needs that children of today take for granted. Heat during cold winter months was nonexistent. She would come home and ask the cook for hot baked potatoes to warm up her hands and feet due to itchy, red, chilblains ... a precursor to frostbite. Summers were difficult wearing the heavy wool uniforms that could not be cleaned often. Looking back on those days she felt so sorry for the nuns who lived in an almost medieval state of existence. Martha had several wonderful friends in Santiago and had a happy teenage life with her family, their friends and children. Both she and her father were musically inclined. She learned how to play the guitar and would play with one of her girlfriends. Her father's title as vice president of the bank afforded a cosmopolitan lifestyle with many interesting guests. During WWll, her family entertained the troops in their home. On several occasions during her youth she traveled to the States to visit American relatives. While her younger brother was sent to a boarding school in the States as a young teen, Martha left South America for Smith College in Northampton, MA when she was 18. She majored in French and briefly taught at a private day school. While at Smith she met James King who was studying at nearby Amherst College. They married in 1949 in New York City. After her husband's doctorate in physics from Yale, they moved to northern New Jersey and started a family in Whippany in their brand new first home. She was most proud of the large yellow chrysanthemums growing in her front yard. Martha was part of the Civil Defense team in the neighborhood. And she would sometimes troop down the street in her white helmet and arm band. She loved talking on the telephone's "party line" with her best friend and was sometimes admonished for tying it up. A proud Irish woman, she made sure her children wore shamrocks on St. Patrick's day. In the early 1960's the family moved near Allentown, PA. Even though she and Jim were very busy with four children and work life, they always managed to pursue their many interests and instilling the children with arestlessness and curiosity that to this day cannot be abated. In the Pennsylvania days it was all about antiques. So many weekends spent going through dusty and out of the way shops. Or going for a drive and looking at new houses. Together as a family, she went through Amish country and learned about hex signs and distelfinks, pickled pigs feet, brats, and dough boxes. She participated in her children's' old elementary wooden school house fundraising cakewalks and took them to YMCA swim classes. Moving day came again in 1965 when Jim was transferred to Sandia Labs in Albuquerque. By this time Martha was getting used to moving and it was never easy; but it afforded her the opportunity to design another house giving her great pleasure. Each of her houses across the country was custom-built. She immediately loved Albuquerque for the Sandia mountains that reminded her of the Andes in Chile. She was also attracted to the open space and beautiful sunsets. But all was not sunny...Christmas card photos were particularly "hair raising" with three young girls to pin curl and a little boy who didn't care to be dressed up as though he were Little Lord Fauntleroy. She loved Albuquerque in the 1960's and was so sorry to have to move to Livermore, California in 1968. Most of those days were relegated to driving children to and from school and dance classes. But those next three years passed quickly and Martha and Jim moved back to Albuquerque in 1971. The following years were spent helping her children in the New Mexico Ballet Company and the Albuquerque Civic Light Opera as a mother and dance/theater aficionado. And the addition of a re-built player piano in their family room added to the gaiety of many King parties. Martha had many and varied cats that she cared for and loved dearly over the years. Martha and Jim's first "babies" were three Siamese cats. Hervery last was a beautiful lilac Oriental cat named "Paloma". Besides dreaming about house plans, she enjoyed reading the Physicians Desk Reference, true crime books, the daily local newspaper from front to back, cutting out articles to be sent to her children, taking care of the cats, and talking with her friends or anyone she ever met. She was a collector
of stories. Everyone's life experience was of interest to her no matter their station. She was an excellent cook and her many recipes have been handed down to her children. One of her favorites was picadillo...a savory Cuban dish. The Funeral Ceremony, remembrance, and reception will take place at La Vida Llena's Carter Hall at 1:00pm on Saturday, February 25, 2023. A private Interment will take place at Gate of Heaven on Monday, February 27, 2023.In lieu of flowers please consider the Animal Humane Society, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Wounded Warrior Project, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, or a charity of your choice.