On August 8, 2024, Martha Ruth Heseltine passed away following a long, brave battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She was 80.

Martha was born May 19, 1944, in Hudson, NY, to Arthur Kenneth Heins and Ruth Evelyn (Hodge) Heins and raised in Valatie, NY. She resided in Stamford, CT (Jan. 2024 until her passing), Harwich Port, MA (Nov. 1994 - Jan. 2024), and Chatham Center and Valatie, NY (May 1944 - Nov. 1994.)

A graduate of Ichabod Crane Central School, Valatie, NY, Martha achieved an associate's degree at Albany Business College, Albany, NY. Following her graduation, she worked at her father's farm equipment machinery business, Heins Equipment Co., Inc., as a bookkeeper and then as a secretary at Canada Dry Corporation in Hudson, NY.

While at Albany Business College, Martha was introduced through a common friend to the love of her life, David Jeffrey Heseltine. David was a young, handsome, fun-loving man who recently moved from Erie, PA, to Old Chatham, NY, and also had a passion for horses. They married on May 1, 1965, and bought a small horse farm in Chatham Center, NY, where they raised their two children, Audra and Jeffrey. When David began a lifetime career at General Electric Corporation in Schenectady, NY, Martha happily assumed the role of mom and homemaker.

After raising her children to elementary school age, Martha returned to work in 1980 as a special education aide at Mary E. Dardess Elementary School, Chatham, NY, and was attendance coordinator for the district until moving to Cape Cod in 1994.

Family was the essence of Martha's life. She loved her children to her core and ensured they were raised with the same hard-working values with which she was raised. Martha treasured the large family gatherings on the holidays, summer barbecues and special events, watching the cousins play together in their younger years. Later on, when Jeffrey married and had two children, she relished her time with her grandchildren.

Martha took pride in her community and jumped at the chance to volunteer her time to community groups that she and the family supported. She was a generous and kind-hearted woman with a work-ethic like none other. She took pride in doing her best at every task she accepted and ensured that everyone around her had great experiences.

As an active equestrian from the time she was a child, Martha was a member, Honorary Secretary and Field Master of the Old Chatham Hunt Club, Old Chatham, NY; District Commissioner of the Old Chatham Pony Club; and a member of the Taconic Hunt Club and 4-H club. Martha also served on the Tri-Village Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary.

Martha loved being around horses and horseback riding. She had a special connection with horses and reveled in teaching children how to ride, respect and care for them. She spent much of life taking her children to Pony Club, horse shows and combined training events and encouraged her daughter to pursue eventing as a sport. Many of the families' most cherished memories involved long trail rides around Columbia County, NY, and trips to hunter paces and fox hunts with lifelong friends.

When Martha and David retired to Cape Cod, they joined Allen Harbor Yacht Club, Harwich Port, MA, where David served as Flag Officer and Commodore and Martha was an active member and Stewart. She also served on the Harwich Extension and volunteered at the Harwich Family Pantry and Garden Club. Martha had a passion for gardening and, in her later years, would spend hours each day planting and pruning her flower and vegetable gardens.

On Cape Cod, Martha and David began sailing and bought a 31-foot Island Packet sailboat, which they used to cruise each summer for 15 years around the Northeast coast. From Northern Maine to Southern, NJ, they traveled making cherished memories and meeting people from around the world. Martha learned to love sailing alongside her husband and the adventures they experienced at sea. Every family gathering during those years was filled with stories of places they visited, people they met and storms they encountered.

Martha is survived by husband David Jeffrey Heseltine of Stamford, CT, Harwich Port, MA and Chatham Center, NY; daughter Audra Jean Hession and husband Robert Hession of Stamford, CT; son Jeffrey Dean Heseltine, wife Rachel and grandchildren, Owen and Tabitha, of Chesterville, ME; sisters Dorothy Louise Wemitt, Valatie, NY; Barbara Jean Williams and husband Larry Williams of Fuquay Varina, NC, and eight nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother Arthur Kenneth (Bud) Heins, Jr. and his wife Suzanne (Sue) Marie Heins of Valatie.

A funeral service is to be held at Wenk Funeral Home, 21 Payn Avenue, Chatham, NY,  on October 12 at 11:00AM. Following the service, there will be an interment at Old Chatham Union Cemetery, 300 Shaker Museum Rd, Old Chatham, NY, where Martha Heseltine will be laid to rest.

Family and friends are invited to gather and celebrate Martha's life, sharing memories and honoring her legacy at Jackson's Old Chatham House, 646 Albany Turnpike, Old Chatham, NY. In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association.