Martha Nye SHRIVER

News Death Notice

SHRIVER, Martha Nye passed away in her home on June 22, 2014. Miami University's "First Lady" from 1965 to 1981, Martha was the beloved wife of Miami President Phillip R. Shriver. Born in Toledo, Ohio on December 6, 1923, she was the youngest daughter of Robert Nye and Damaris Wright Nye. Martha was the last surviving grandchild of John Wright, whose home is the centerpiece of the Historic Lyme Village outside Bellevue Ohio. Martha grew up in Bellevue and graduated from Bellevue High School in 1941. It was in November of that year, as a freshman at Wellesley College that she first met her husband-to-be when he was a sophomore at Yale. Their first date was at the Harvard-Yale football game two weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. They married on April 15, 1944, while he was an officer in the United States Navy during World War II. Martha was preceded in death by her husband Phillip, her parents, her sister Frances Virginia "Nancy" Nye Close and brother-in-law William Close. She is survived by her children Carolyn Shaul (Bill) of Seattle, Washington, Susan LaVine of Aurora, Ohio, Melinda Williams (David) of Kent, Ohio, Darcy Shriver of Oxford, Ohio and Scott Shriver (Vicki Foster) of Oxford; eight grandchildren: Trevor Helwig (Tiffany), Ryan Helwig (Jill), Lindsay LaVine, Andrew LaVine (Melissa), Katie Lippman (Wes), Ryan Williams, Cameron Shriver (Julia Applebaum) and Kyle Shriver, and six great grandchildren: Taylor, Anna, Avery, Marin and Evie Helwig and Ellie Lippman. Martha is also survived by her nephews Bob Close (Donna) and Dick Close (Libby) and their families. Martha will always be remembered and adored by her children and grandchildren as the matriarch around whom they gathered at holidays and at the family cottage in Lakeside Chautauqua, Ohio. She was a member of the Oxford Presbyterian Church and the DC chapter of P.E.O, as well as an honorary member of the Miami University Alumni Association and the Miami Men's Glee Club. The family wishes to express deep appreciation for the constancy and compassion of Jodi Kuhlman of the Indian Creek Family Health Group, for the phenomenal staff of McCullough Hyde Hospital, and for the remarkable expertise of Dr. Erika Brudzinski, who returned to Martha's life in her final days. They also thank VITAS Hospice for the comfort they gave to both Martha and her family at the end of her journey. A family graveside service will take place. A memorial service to honor her life will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Phillip R. Shriver Scholarship at Miami University or to Lakeside Chautauqua, Ohio.