Martha Holt Hare Sexton

Martha Holt Hare Sexton passed way at her cottage home in Gulfport Mississippi surrounded by her daughters and family on October 3, 2018 at the age of 88. She was born on October 29, 1929 in Holly Springs, N.C. to Exum and Ella Holt Hare. She graduated from Apex High School and Meredith College and worked in elementary education and the corporate field. After her marriage to John Sexton in 1951, the couple lived in several states including Carolina, Virginia and California raising their three daughters and beginning the joys of grand and great grand parenthood. Martha returned to her North Carolina roots in the 1980s where she began her single independent life enjoying her new found church, the company of her sisters, many neighborhood friends and her beloved cats. Martha relocated to Gulfport MS in 2013 to be nearer to her family. After renovations were complete to her 1920s craftsman cottage home, she later wrote to a dear friend “…this is good. I have come home.” Throughout her life, in all of her homes from a tiny apartment to her last cottage, Martha used her special talents to create and transform her surroundings into something artful and beautiful. Martha enjoyed music, singing, piano playing, book club, libraries, bridge, southern vegetables, flowers, fashion and her pet cats. She was a devout Christian, faithful to her church and engaged and sympathetic to the struggles surrounding humanity. Martha was predeceased in death by her parents, her sister Belle Durant, and her former husband, John Sexton. She is survived by and will be dearly missed by her daughters, Lynn Sexton (Brian Allendale), Debbie Weisz (Brian) and Beth Swigris (Tony), seven grandchildren, four great grandchildren, sisters Mary Macon and Jean Goodwin, many loved nieces and nephews and her cat Lily. Special thanks to Claire Dobbs, Cleo McQueen and the folks at Camelia Hospice for all their tender mercies. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society of South Mississippi and The First United Methodist Church in Gulfport. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 20th at 10:00am at First United Methodist Church in Gulfport. Services will follow at 11. You may view and sign the register at www.bradfordokeefe.com