Robert Austin Martella, a longtime Darien resident and WWII veteran, passed peacefully on February 4, 2020 at the age of 94. Bob was born in Port Chester, NY on June 24, 1925, the son of Austin B. Martella and Florence Murray. His father was a Sergeant in the Marine Corps in WWI and, when his time came, Bob was proud to follow in his dad’s footsteps. Bob’s mom was also a huge influence, instilling in him the importance of family that he would carry and celebrate for the rest of his life.
Bob graduated from Port Chester High School in Port Chester, NY. After high school, eager to join the war effort like so many of his older friends and classmates, he convinced his dad to write a letter to the local recruiting office giving permission for Bob to enlist, which was needed because he was only 17 years old! During WWII he spent three years with the 5th Air Forces, Signal Corps Division, and was awarded three Bronze Service Stars for his campaigns in New Guinea and the Philippines. After returning from the Pacific Bob married Janet L. Werring on August 27, 1949 and they spent their first year living together at Tusculum College in Tennessee.
After living in Rye and Yorktown Heights they settled in Darien in 1972 where they stayed for the remainder of their lives. This time together saw them easily eclipse the Golden Anniversary mark as in the end they were married for 69 years.
Bob worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance in New York City for over 36 years. He was very active as a troop leader in the Boy Scouts and, along with his wife Janet, a volunteer with Pegasus Therapeutic Riding program. He loved gardening and tinkering around the house, but his favorite hobby by far was boating. In addition to indulging this passion he also donated countless hours helping out (and hanging out) at The Darien Boat Club.
We will miss Bob’s avid storytelling and his enthusiasm for life’s little moments, from sharing cocktails on the deck with his beloved wife to presiding over family barbecues to celebrating every conceivable holiday on the calendar.
Bob is survived by his children Robert (Linda), Suzanne, Barbara Morehouse (Hank), Karen and Charles (Ariadna). He was a proud grandfather of Lauren, Evan, Leal, Diego and Sofia. His sister Pam Flanagan resides in Greenwich, CT.
The family would like to thank Darien EMS Post 53, the nurses of Waveny Home Health Care and Visiting Angels of Stamford.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Thomas Moore Church in Darien on Monday, February 10th.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, c/o Candice
Sciarrillo, 310 Peach Lake Road, Brewster, NY 10509-1715 (www.pegasustr.org/donate/)
or Darien EMS Post 53, P.O. Box 2066, Darien, CT 06820 (www.post53.info)
One can support Literacy Volunteers at Family Centers through a variety of roles. Their biggest need is ESL tutors. Tutors are required to give two hours of instruction each week teaching a small group of dedicated and motivated adult English learners. Classes are held in Stamford and Greenwich during the day or evening. No experience or bilingual ability is necessary. All tutors are required to attend training which is facilitated by program staff.Another volunteer opportunity at the organization is proctoring. This opportunity is less of a time commitment than tutoring but is a huge help to the LV staff when it comes time to test the students! Proctors must attend training facilitated by program staff. There are many other ways to get involved including volunteering to help register new students during the start of fall and spring semesters or helping set up and clean up at special events. They also need assistance with data entry and general administrative duties.
