JANE DONLEY MARTIN

(née Holliday) "To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world." - Dr. Seuss It is with profound heartbreak that we bid farewell to our dear mother, Jane Donley Martin (née Holliday). She passed away peacefully in her sleep, just before dawn on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Jane was the daughter of Douglas and Doris Holliday; the sister of the late Andrew Holliday; the wife of the late Dr. J.W. (Walter) Martin; the mother of Mary (Laforet), Pamela (Tower), Victoria (d. 2005), Julie (Aterman), and Wendy; and the "Mama Jane" of Jason, Janine (d. 2014), Samantha, James, Bronwyn, Hadley, and Jackson. Jane's life story was fascinating, worthy of a magazine. Foregoing the typical path of women in the 1950s, Jane carved her own way into the world of advertising. A talented artist and cartoonist, she combined a strong visual sense with a flair for words as a copywriter in Toronto (where she had the privilege of working with famed Canadian artist Harold Town) and the United States. Jane always used to say with a playful wink that her career "was just like the TV show Mad Men." Her roots in Ontario ran deep, and in 1957, she met her husband, Walter, a surgical resident, at her New Year's Eve party ("the night when my life changed forever"). Brought together by his brother, Richard, the two married in November of that year and moved to Buffalo, where Walter was training to be a surgeon. They eventually settled in Burlington, Ontario, where Walter established his surgical practice. As Jane always wryly remarked, "he was the doctor, but I was the artistic one." Jane and Walter had five girls (yes, five girls). Jane devoted herself to motherhood, and she loved her daughters more than anything in the world. She was their fiercest advocate and protector, and early in their lives, she bought a cottage on Lake Joseph in Muskoka to give them wonderful, warm summer memories. She also taught them a love of literature, poetry, good writing, fashion, and the arts, and bequeathed them her own exquisite taste. Although she met with physical decline in her later years, her mind remained as sharp as ever. After her husband passed away in 2021, her life came full circle at Baycrest in North Toronto, just blocks away from the house on Haddington, where she had married Walter decades ago. Sincere gratitude to Dr. Elliot Lass, Dr. Jordan Elmalem, and Dr. Ananthavalli Kumarappah, whose expertise, compassion, and gentle humour brought Jane much comfort in the final pages in the story of her life. Our deepest thanks also to nurses Eddie Whittle, Elisha Cruz, Debra Conway-Chung, Ashish Singh, Tahmineh Ghadirpour, and Lovely Mandalas for their loving care of Jane. Angels do walk the earth. Jane was especially grateful to her skilled legal team at Cambridge LLP, who guided and protected her when her autonomy was under threat. And a special thank you to her cousin, Ann, of Toronto, and niece, Patricia, of Cambridge, MA, who buoyed Jane's spirits with scintillating conversation (Jane did love to talk!). We will all miss her kindness, her wit, and the sound of her voice forever. Now, Mommy, it is time for you to rest, because you did your best! Love from those who faithfully stood by you for your whole life. xoxo In honour of Jane's request, a funeral will not be held. In lieu of flowers, donations to Mount Sinai Hospital or ArtHeart Community Art Centre are welcomed.