ESSEX – Sarah Cooley Martin, born May 18, 1940, died Aug. 1, 2025, with her family at her side in Essex. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of Paul Whitman Cooley and Jane Crary Allen.
Sarah attended the Renbrook School, graduated from The Wheeler School in Rhode Island, and then attended Hollins University, Virginia. During her college career, Sarah spent a year abroad at the coveted Villa Marchetti Art Academy.
She is survived by her sister Clare Edwards and her husband Jared of Essex; and by her brother Jefferey Cooley and his wife Betsy of Old Lyme. She is also survived by her three sons, Whitman Seymour and wife Lisa of Niantic, David Seymour and wife Anna and Christopher Seymour of West Hartford; as well as by her nephew Johnathan Edwards and wife Allison of West Hartford. Sarah is also the beloved grandmother to eight grandchildren; and one great-grandson. Her husband, Robert S. Martin, predeceased her in 2023. Sarah enjoyed traveling and spending time outdoors with her husband Bob. She was a skilled racket player and a feared opponent on the croquet court.
After her education, she resided in West Hartford and was a volunteer at Hartford Hospital for numerous years. Her fondness and constant involvement in all five ARTs of Hartford made her a keen ally to them where she served on the Board of Trustees of the Mark Twain Home and Museum and of the Connecticut Opera.
A gourmet cook, all welcomed an invite from Sarah for a friend-filled, exciting meal at the dining room table, particularly at 219. Utilizing these cooking skills, Sarah served on the editorial committee and was chair of recipe testing of the award-winning Connecticut à La Carte Cookbook, published in 1982, which benefitted the five ARTs of Hartford, and subsequently went on to multiple publishings.
Dedicated to community, Sarah was a volunteer at Habitat for Humanity through Asylum Hill Church and a member of the Connecticut Valley Garden Club where she served as its president. She played bridge at the Old Lyme Country Club and was a regular attendee at Florence Griswold Museum events and programs. Sarah was also a member of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America.
Sarah’s greatest passion was spending time at her Shore home visiting with family and friends, sharing a laugh or memory with everyone in Old Black Point (OBP). She spent her summers at OBP since the year of her birth, and she always looked forward to the summer weekends of mayhem and shenanigans with a full house of family and grandchildren.
A woman of utmost grace, character, enthusiasm and unpretentiousness, Sarah never missed an outing, sports game, performance, or ceremony for those she loved. She fostered irreplaceable relationships throughout her life which will sustain her legacy for those of us that remain behind.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at Asylum Hill Church in Hartford, with a gathering to follow for Family and Friends.
Donations may be made in her memory to the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center, 79 Retreat Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106, and the Essex Meadows Scholarship Fund, 30 Bokum Road, Essex CT 06426.
