Susan Evans Martin

Susan Evans Martin passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her loving family on August 27, 2025, following a long period of declining health.

Sue was born on June 24, 1943, in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Stuart and Eleanor Evans. Her family moved to Long Island, New York where she spent her formative years. She graduated from Rockville Center High School and attended Boston College School of Nursing, graduating magna cum laude in 1965.

After college, Sue welcomed the challenge of “battle front” nursing and chose a position on the Harvard Medical Service at the Boston City Hospital. It was there that she met a young medical intern, Dennis Lee Martin. They fell in love and, after a whirlwind courtship, they married in the fall of 1965. Sue stepped away from nursing to raise a family of six wonderful and rambunctious children. She faithfully followed her husband to multiple cities as he completed his training. Together they found their permanent home in Asheville in 1974. The years were filled with love, hard work, laughter, and challenges of all sorts, which Sue met with strength and perseverance. She was fiercely loyal to her family and friends and her strong moral principles were unwavering. She was a wise counselor of strong character and deep faith. She was committed to her family, friends and community and worked to make the world a better place.

While still raising children, Sue joined the Biltmore Forest Volunteer Fire Department as its only female firefighter and “medical expert.” She stayed up to date on recent medical developments by regularly reading her husband’s medical journals. During this time, she also served as the school board chair at St. Eugene’s School, now Asheville Catholic School, and helped save it from closing.

When the children were old enough, she returned to nursing after a 20-year hiatus. She jumped right in, first on the Medical-Surgical floors at Memorial Mission Hospital and then, for many years, in the Communicable Disease Section of the Buncombe County Health Department, where stories of her detective work are legendary. Sue loved people and enjoyed helping those in need. She was deeply committed to her patients and fought to improve medical care for the individual patient and the whole community.

Sue was a very intelligent woman and a voracious reader with a fondness for mysteries. She was an armchair Jeopardy champion and loved any game that challenged her mind and memory. She was a life-long learner and enjoyed teaching and providing instruction to others, especially mentoring nursing students from A-B Tech and Western Carolina University. She was a lover of animals and enjoyed the many family pets, especially her dogs – Boris, Fergus, Otis and Max.

In her later years, health issues began to take their toll. Sue dealt with these issues with courage, fortitude and great patience. During these years, she was surrounded by her family and sustained by their loving care. She lived a full and rewarding life. She is now at peace after a life well lived. She will be missed.

She is survived by her husband, Dennis; her children, Lisa Boerner (Michael), Chris (Rhonda), Melissa (Brendan), Suzanne Young (Brett), Dennis (Sheila), Michael (Amber) and Jonathan Rice; and her thirteen grandchildren, Margaret Walker (Mitchell), Moira Boerner, Will Boerner, Rachel Martin, Amy Martin, Sean Martin, Maura Quinn Martin, Jack Martin, Patrick Young, Kate Young, Luke Martin, Lucy Martin and Margaret Martin. She is also survived by her sister, Mary Caplis; sisters-in-law, Peggy Martin, Cecy Martin, Nancy Martin and Sharon Evans; brothers-in-law, Pat Martin and Chris Martin; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her in-laws, Robert and Margaret Martin; her brothers, Stuart and Peter; and her brothers-in-law, R. Michael Martin and Jack Caplis.

We would like to thank Donna Randall, her caregiver for many years; Missy Martin, her daughter and devoted caregiver; Four Seasons Hospice, especially Ivy Johnson and Autumn Holt; and Groce Funeral Home for making the arrangements.

A Memorial Service and Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, September 17th at 1:00 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Lawrence, D.M. in downtown Asheville.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Asheville Catholic School or a charity of your choice.

Groce Funeral Home’s Lake Julian team is assisting the family.