Martha Hutchinson Garvey

Martha Ann Hutchinson Garvey died peacefully on September 21, joining her beloved husband John A. Garvey Jr. She was born on March 28, 1931, and enjoyed growing up in the Albany, NY, area. She graduated from the Albany Academy for Girls and Wells College in Aurora, NY. While working in public relations for the Port Authority of New York and US Rubber, she met herhusband John. Since the Queechy Lake area in Canaan, NY, was special to her, she and John were married at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in nearby New Lebanon, NY. They lived in a Manhattan apartment, becoming parents to daughter Martha and embracing the big city life. Pittsburgh became their new home when John was offered a position as a tax lawyer with Westinghouse Electric Company.

Martha’s devotion to Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh sports (well, mostly the Steelers) and fighting for civil rights were central to her life. Though she was busy raising five daughters,  she dedicated significant time to organizations working to enact social change, inspired by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and local leaders like Alma Speed Fox and Byrd Brown. Her social justice activism through organizations including the Pittsburgh NAACP and Women in the Urban Crisis had a lasting impact. She walked the walk, quite literally, marching through downtown Pittsburgh for Stations of the Cross around locations where incidents of police brutality against Black people occurred and taking up a position in a picket line outside the East Liberty Sears store to press for hiring of more people of color. She returned to her public relations roots in the 1980s, working as a writer/editor. She eventually became Director of Public Relations and Publications for Carlow College (now University). Martha also was active politically, serving as a committeewoman and a mentor to aspiring civic leaders. She was a fierce guardian of her Oakland community, serving for decades on the board of Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, striving to preserve the character of the community and expand access to affordable housing. A highlight of the latter part of her life was being welcomed into the St. Regis parish community. Some her deepest friendships grew out of her time spent singing with the choir. Martha is survived by daughters Martha (Jeff), Charlotte (Chuck), Elizabeth (Dan), Mary (Joe), and Kate, along with grandchildren Sam (Alex), Jack, and Grace Corbett; Katie Sparvero; and JT, John, and Gemma Washington. She also is survived by many cherished Dignum nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by parents Samuel and Gertrude Hutchinson, her sister Helen Marge Hutchinson Dignum, and husband John A. Garvey Jr. We have to imagine that Martha’s heaven includes her husband John, her dog Odie, jazz, watching a Celtics game or Jeopardy, enjoying a plate of Brie and crackers accompanied by a tumbler of Jameson Irish whiskey (AKA “Vitamin J”). Friends will be received on Monday, Sept. 26, from 3 to 7pm at John A. Freyvogel Sons, 4900 Centre Avenue at Devonshire Street (freyvogelfuneralhome.com). Funeral Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, Mass of Christian Burial 10:00AM at Mary, Queen of Peace Parish, St. Mary of the Mount Church, 403 Grandview Ave., followed by interment at Homewood Cemetery, 1599 S. Dallas Ave, Point Breeze. To honor Martha’s memory, in lieu of flowers you can contribute to: Black Political Empowerment Project (https://www.b-pep.net/) or the Thomas Merton Center (https://www.thomasmertoncenter.org).

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