Martha Sullivan of Nacogdoches passed away on June 5, 2026. She was 85 years old.
Martha grew up in Woodville, Texas, and attended The University of Texas. She moved to Washington, DC, to work for the US Census Bureau. While there, she processed data on Univac 2, one of the first computers, a point of pride. She returned to Texas to get her law degree, then moved to Nacogdoches to work as a prosecutor. From there, Martha accepted a job at Stephen F. Austin State University where she taught criminal justice for decades before retiring.
Martha was known for her intelligence and analytical thinking, and her passionate commitment to justice. She believed in the power of democracy and supervised elections for years. While she demanded excellence from all she met, be they students or volunteers or members of her United Methodist Church community, she never lost her focus on ethical, moral support for social justice and equality. Martha was opinionated and could argue to the point of aggravation, but she also told great stories, spoke truthfully, and cared deeply for her friends and family. While Alzheimer’s Disease impacted her later years, she never lost her ability to challenge others’ decisions and beliefs, often with her characteristic wry facial expressions and dark one-liners.
Outside of her career, Martha loved the outdoors and gardening. In her youth, she loved attending summer camp, where she made lifelong friends. She learned to grow vegetables with her agriculture teacher father, and that love for working with plants never waned. She loved her Piney Woods environment. After retiring from teaching, she spent her time at the Mast Arboretum at SFA.
Martha is proceeded in death by parents Sam and Quaidie Sullivan of Woodville, Texas, aunt and uncle John “Buddy” and Nancy Watts of Charleston, South Carolina, aunt and uncle Martha and Stuart Wagner of Arizona, and brother Fred and sister-in-law Kaaren Sullivan of Woodville. She is survived by nephew Steven Sullivan of Seattle, Washington, niece Elizabeth Sullivan of Austin, Texas, and niece Kathryn Sullivan of Denver, Colorado.
A gathering of family and friends to visit and share memories of Martha will be held 10 - 11 a.m. on Friday, July 10, 2026 at Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home in Woodville, Texas.
In lieu of flowers and in keeping with Martha’s loves, those who choose to honor her memory can send donations to SFA Gardens (Mast Arboretum) at P.O. Box 13000, SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX 75962 (or online at the SFA Gardens Give page), or to the Allan Shiver Library, where Martha’s mother was the longtime librarian, at 302 N. Charlton St., Woodville, TX, 75979.
Services are under the direction of Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home in Woodville, Texas.
