Roseanne Ellen Martin

Roseanne Ellen (Davis) Martin (80) of East Main Rd. Portsmouth, RI, passed away on June 14, 2023.

Roseanne was born on May 2, 1943, in Fall River, MA. She was the daughter of Patrick Christopher Davis and Dorothy Bernadette (Holden) Davis. Roseanne married John Costa Martin Jr. on September 3, 1966, at St. Anthony's Church, Portsmouth, RI. Roseanne cherished the 1700s farmhouse where she grew up and went on to live with her husband and raise their family. Her husband, John, of 57 years, passed away on May 8, 2023, and she now joins.

Roseanne is survived by her three daughters Cathleen (Michael) Sheils of King Ferry, NY, Mary Ellen Martin of Portsmouth RI, Patricia (Dan) Holdridge, and grandson Holden Davis Martin of Deerfield, NH. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law Mary Ann Martin of Newport, RI and Cecilia (Martin) VanHof of Tiverton, RI, and nieces Michelle (Mignor) Grimes, Ann Marie Van Hof, and nephew Kevin Mignor.

Roseanne embraced being a mother and nana. She found joy in actively supporting her daughters' interests and activities. As a nana, she and her grandson Holden were the ultimate pals. Holden named one of his 4-H chickens in her honor and looked forward to her root beer floats. She enjoyed attending Holden's school concerts, sports games, and grandparents' day at school.

Roseanne attended Henry F. Anthony School and Anne Hutchinson School in Portsmouth, RI, and graduated from B. M. C. Durfee High School, Fall River, MA, in 1962. After graduation, she pursued her nursing education at Shepard-Gill School of Practical Nursing in Boston, MA. Roseanne's nursing career spanned over 50 years, where she cared for veterans, seniors, and children. She retired from the Portsmouth School Department after 22 years of caring for Elmhurst, Melville, and Portsmouth Middle Schools students. She received recognition on more than one occasion for her emergency care of students. As a beloved nurse, her patients, co-workers, students, and their families appreciated her ability to connect and treat people with dignity, kindness, and compassion.

She was actively engaged in her community, serving as a Girl Scout leader, 4-H volunteer, and member of the Aquidneck Island Craft Association, East Bay Quilters, and Tiverton Senior Center. She appreciated the historical virtues of the town of Portsmouth in which she spent her life and served on the Agriculture Committee and engaged in lively conversations and posts sharing her thoughts about town politics.

Roseanne was a talented and creative person who loved to sew and quilt. She donated several of her quilts to the Newport County 4-H Fair and other charitable organizations to support their fundraising efforts. Her creative work can be found in many homes and yards as she was a crafter at Christmas in Newport and area shows. She supported her daughters in the development of their creative work.

She enjoyed traveling with her husband and daughters and took memorable trips to Ireland, the Azores, California, Minnesota, Washington DC, and New York City. Given the connection to agriculture and crafts, John and Roseanne loved to visit Lancaster Co, Pennsylvania. Roseanne enjoyed shopping, theatre trips with her daughters, and bus trips with friends.

Roseanne raised her daughters to value family, faith, community and education.

Donations can be made in her honor to the Portsmouth Firefighters Local 1949, 2300 East Main Rd., Portsmouth, RI 02871.

Per Roseanne's wishes, calling hours will be omitted. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 10:00am at St. Anthony's Church, 2836 East Main Rd., Portsmouth. Burial will follow at St. Patrick's Cemetery, 2233 Robeson St., Fall River, MA.

Online Tribute at www.memorialfuneralhome.com