Martha Lea Walters

Martha Lea Walters, 60, died March 8 at Island Health and Rehabilitation Center after a battle with cancer.

Born in Nebraska May 22, 1943, she grew up on an apple ranch in Omak, Wash., and moved to western Washington in 1962, where she was a founder of the Gay Liberation Front and pioneered Seattle’s Lesbian Resource Center.

She served on the board of the University YWCA and also spent several summers in Montana working on an organic farm.

She moved to Bainbridge in 1986 and was a familiar face at Town and Country Thriftway since 1991, working first in the floral department, later in the deli, and most recently in the parking area.

A devoted reader and recycler, she was a daily volunteer at the Bainbridge Island Library, managing the volumes of donated magazines that appeared on the rack in the foyer. She also donated her time to Helpline House, and was an active member of the recovery community. She was known for her pocketful of New Yorker cartoons.

Service will be from 2-4 p.m. March 27 at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church. Memorials can be made to the Martha Walters Memorial Fund at Wells Fargo Bank on Hildebrand Lane.