Martha A Joyal

Martha A. (Gallagher) Joyal, passed away peacefully on Oct 21, 2025, with family by her side. Martha was born on February 13, 1947, in San Diego, CA. She was raised in Chelmsford, MA, and graduated from Chelmsford High School. She worked at several companies in HR and Administration prior to marrying her husband, Rene, in 1972.

While her kids were young, she was a stay-at-home mother. She returned to work when they became teens and retired following fifteen years as an activities coordinator at Courville Manor in Nashua, NH. In retirement, she enjoyed travel, music concerts, numerous outings and trips with her meetup group and widows group, playing cards and games with her friends, dinner with neighbors, and family gatherings.

Martha’s life prioritized one word: Connections. At Courville, she reached out to all residents, especially Alzheimer patients, and gave them tactile tasks to keep them connected. She enjoyed helping people in need: from sewing pajamas for children to knitting mittens and socks for homeless men. She was first to show up when a friend needed help.

Martha was a prolific baker. She sent baked goods to relatives in college and in the military. When her kids were younger, she sent holiday-themed baked goods to school classes to make sure every student felt loved and seen. Her boys’ teenage friends often reached out to her as a confidante. She hosted numerous (famous) spaghetti dinners for the Nashua High Cross Country Teams.

Her grandkids nicknamed her “Happy.” Nieces and nephews described her as a force and a ball of energy. In her later years she still played on the floor with her granddaughter and grandnephews, sometimes needing help to stand. She loved her family, and she never missed an opportunity to gather.

Her favorite places were Unity, ME, where the family rented a lake house, and Goose Rocks and Old Orchard Beaches. She shared her love of camping and the outdoors. She taught her boys how to clean fish. Her family will miss her spirit and energy.

Martha was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Rene E. Joyal, and her sister, Becky. She leaves behind two sons, Christopher, and his wife, Denise, and Jamieson and his wife, Stephanie, and a daughter, Cheryl, and her husband Gary; her grandchildren, Emma Joyal, Jayde Cantner, and Aaron Cantner; her two brothers, Jones and Timm, and her sister, Teresa; several nieces, grandnieces, nephews, and grandnephews.

SERVICES:  A wake will be held on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 5-6:30 pm, at Phaneuf Funeral Home, 26 Kinsley St, Nashua, NH. A brief service will follow at 6:30pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the Nashua Soup Kitchen, or the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, NH. (Links below)

A Celebration of Life Cookout will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025; reach out to family for details.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace: Builds and provides beds to children in need.

https://shpbeds.org/donate/

The Nashua Soup Kitchen: Feeds and serves the homeless and food-insecure residents of Nashua

https://nsks.org/donate/

The Community Hospice House: Served Martha and her family with compassion and care in their time of greatest need.

https://hhhc.org/make-a-gift/