Wanda Jo Martin

Wanda Jo Martin passed away peacefully on October 21st, 2023, surrounded by loved ones.
Born in Cass County, Texas, May 6th, 1934, to Elbert Ervin Foster and Beatrice Jenkins (Foster) Pitt. Wanda moved to Denton in 1944. She graduated from Denton High School in 1952 and married William Matheson (“Pete”) Martin, Jr., in 1953. They had four children.

Wanda was a woman of great strength, humor, and compassion. Having raised four children as a single mother, family was an important aspect of her life. Always there with a quip of dry humor, her warm smile, contagious laugh, and blue eyes lit up any room filled with family and friends. Having survived cancer in 1995, Wanda continued to live a full life as an enthusiastic cook and baker on family holidays, as well as any and all social events in her life - if you ever had one of her desserts, you know! Helping and serving others was her passion, highlighted in her many years of work with children. Wanda went to work for then Drs. Penley and Nelson in 1966 in their orthodontics office, and she continued to work for Dr. R. John Nelson for another almost 50 years before retiring in 2016. In retirement, she enjoyed a slower pace of life spending as much time as she could surrounded by her loved ones.

Wanda is survived by her four children - Kim Martin Long (predeceased by husband, David), William Matheson (“Bill”) Martin III (wife, Debbie), Linda Martin Woods (husband, Richard), and Debbie Martin Taylor (husband, Dale); five grandchildren - Scott Mayo, Bryan Mayo (wife, Stefanie), Kyle Mayo (wife, Doralice), Allison Taylor Hasserd (husband, Rhett), Katie Taylor McKendall (husband, Jay); and four great-grandchildren - Adelay, Jack, Max, and Isla. Pete Martin preceded her in death in 1997.

The family is planning a small celebration of her life on Saturday, November 25th, 2023; please contact the family for more information.

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in Wanda’s name to either the American Cancer Society or the National Alzheimer’s Association.