Martha Doub Rainey Rokahr

1936 - 2026

Martha Doub Rainey Rokahr

Nov 21, 1936 - Feb 8, 2026

Martha Doub Rainey Rokahr passed peacefully on the morning of Sunday, February 8, 2026. Martha was born on November 21, 1936, in Winston-Salem, NC, to Wilfred Pleasants Rainey and Frances Idelia Doub Rainey. Martha grew up on Holly Avenue, attending Centenary Methodist Church as well as her mother's beloved Calvary Moravian. Her youth was spent roller skating in the neighborhood, playing with friends, walking to piano lessons at Salem College, and ballet at Miss Dorminy's. She graduated from Reynolds High School in 1954 and received her B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina Women's College at Greensboro.

Upon graduating, Martha moved to Washington, DC, where she was a librarian at the prestigious National Geographic Society. Later, she was secretary to broadcast legend Willard Scott at NBC4 in Washington, where she amassed a treasure trove of stories, including being surprised by a live Emperor penguin in the prop room to having lunch with Robert Redford after one of his first TV interviews. Martha later moved to Manhattan to work for Lois Brannon Associates, Artist Representation and Concert Bookers. She lived on Bleecker Street in the heart of the West Village and enjoyed all New York in the mid-60's had to offer. She married her husband, Russell Robert Rokahr, in the city and spent the next few years in Savannah, GA, Sacramento, CA, and finally Buffalo, NY, following her husband, who was a Symphony Manager.

Martha moved back to Winston-Salem to raise her newborn daughter after the death of her husband in 1972. Her deep faith in God saw her through challenging times. Her mantra was always, "Everything will work out, you'll see." Martha worked hard and lived simply with a quiet grace, neither coveting nor despairing for what she didn't have.

She retired from Wake Forest University in 2004, where she worked with student athletes in the Learning Assistance Program. She was a rabid WFU basketball fan and beloved by the players. She was asked to "guest coach" one Valentines Day for a televised game. Friends near and far got to enjoy "5 ft. nothing." Martha ushered onto the bench with an ear-to-ear grin, shoulder bag in tow, from which she later offered an Altoid to the players on either side.

From the 1950's onward, most favorite and special times were spent with family at Pawley's Island, SC. Her large extended family was central to her life and remained close throughout her years.

To say Martha was a bibliophile is the understatement of a lifetime. All who knew her revered her unparalleled literary mind and feared her biting opinions. Weekly library runs with her daughter required tote bags. Shakespeare was torturous and Dostoyevsky sublime, in case you didn't know. She was known to read two to three books a week at times, and she adored every member of her book club who had been meeting for the past 27 years.

In her final years, Martha suffered from Alzheimer's disease and the effects of a stroke. However, true to her character, C'est la vie was her attitude, and she never dwelled on the negative. Her last years were spent in her daughter's home. She read by the fire, she ate the foods she loved, and enjoyed her "spa days" with friends she never remembered at the Williams Adult Day Center. Henry the bulldog never left her side. She was doted on by her friend and caretaker, Frankie Smart. She appreciated the freedom from responsibility, she never lost her singular wit, and she was dearly loved.

Martha is predeceased by her parents; husband; and sisters, Ann Conrad Rainey Weidman (Robert) and Jean Darby Rainey Underwood, both of Winston-Salem. She is survived by her daughter, Anne Rainey Rokahr of Winston-Salem.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, February 13th, at Salem Funerals, 120 S. Main Street, Winston-Salem, followed by a lunch reception at The Summit Street Inns 420 Summit Street.

Remembrances can be made to Senior Services Williams Adult Day Center or the Family Services Foundation Endowment Fund. Condolences may be shared online at www.salemfh.com.

Salem Funeral & Cremation Service

120 S. Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101