Shirley Martin

Shirley Martin

Knoxville, TN

Shirley Martin, 85, of Knoxville, formerly of Sneedville, TN, passed from this life Friday September 18, 2015, at Tennova Physician's Regional Medical Center, after a lengthy illness. She was born Shirley Ann Leandro in Honolulu, Hawaii, daughter of Ernest and Nancy Leandro. She was later adopted by step-father, George Martin, and grew up in several locations due to George's Navy career. Shirley fulfilled her vocation as a registered nurse by spending six years in the Army Nurse Corp, nine years as a Glenmary Sister, and later settling in Sneedville, TN, to work among the medically underserved residents of rural Hancock County. During her many years there, she worked first at Hancock County Hospital, then Hancock County Health Department, and lastly at Hancock County Medical Clinic. During the early years at the health department, she was among one of the first classes to graduate from Vanderbilt University's Family Nurse Practitioner Program. Shirley cherished and deeply respected the dear folks of Hancock County and their mountain culture and she always felt loved in return. She retired in 1997 at the age of 68 and moved to Knoxville to be assisted and cared for during her remaining years by surviving friend, Chris Leach. In Knoxville, she was first a member of Holy Ghost Catholic Church, and later, of the new parish of St. Albert the Great, which was formed in 2007 and was closer to home.

We wish to thank all the wonderful staff and doctors at Fresenius Dialysis Center in Powell. We especially thank Dr. Kumar and Dr. Lyons who, with much compassion, so willingly share their excellence in practice during the difficult times experienced by end-stage renal disease patients. We also thank Dr. Amy Rosine and staff at Ft. City Family Physicians, and Dr. Michael Freeman and the vascular surgery staff at UT, for all the many years of excellent care and concern shown to Shirley.

A funeral mass celebrating Shirley's passing to life everlasting with Christ will be said at St. Albert The Great Catholic Church on Tuesday, September 22, 2015, at 11:00 a.m., by Father Chris Michelson, Pastor. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation at P.O. Box 22072, Knoxville, Tennessee 37933, or at www.etkidney.org.