Elisabeth R. Burnett Martin Service Information

Elisabeth Burnett Martin, of Ivyland, PA, formerly of Warren, OH, died suddenly on Friday, April 28, 2023 at St. Mary Medical Center, a beautiful life cut short in a tragic accident. She was 49 years old.

Elisabeth was the beloved wife of Christopher M Martin with whom she shared a magical decade of fun, laughter, friendship and love. Born in Warren, Ohio, Elisabeth was the daughter of Nancy Jean Sage Burnett and the late Stephen G Burnett. Elisabeth will be forever loved by her brother, Stephen Burnett and sister-in-law, Saraswathi Subban; her sister Katie Burnett-Bruckman and brother-in-law, David Bruckman. She was the daughter-in-law of Mary Jane Martin and the late J Ronald Martin and was considered beloved family by her brother-in law Ronald Martin; sister-in-law Nancy Polin and her husband Wynn; sister-in-law Caroline Sweitzer and her husband Tim; and her sister-in-law Susan Martin. She will be especially missed by her much-adored nieces and nephews: Yasmine, Ben; Maya, Olivia, Nicholas, Nate; Kyle, Connor, Brandon, Kylie, Adam, Joe; Vik and Archana.

Elisabeth will live on in the memories of all of them and also the expansive, global network of friendships she cultivated over a life that was too short but exuberantly lived. She was utterly unique and simply unforgettable – cheerful and silly, brilliant and boisterous, multitudinous and loyal. She lived her life in empathy and hope. She laughed easily and loudly, giggled often, and gave generous, comforting hugs. She was an ambitious and accomplished person with passions for travel, her beloved fur-babies, sailing, and giving thoughtful gifts. Every dog loved her, and surely there could be no greater testament to her character. As one of her loving nephews said, she was the life of the party even though she claimed to hate the limelight. And on a beautiful summer day in a sun-dappled garden almost ten years ago she made the most radiant bride any of us have ever seen.

Elisabeth was analytical, a scientist who contributed important research to heart disease, which was what deprived us all of her father. She was endlessly curious about the world, read history and cosmology, and stubbornly researched answers to all our silly brainstormed questions. Her positions on issues were guided by common sense in conversation with her well-cultivated moral compass.

Elisabeth loved bright impressionist art, flowers, English literature, trashy novels, fields of lavender, family pancake weekends in March and Michigan camping weekends in July, live music, baseball, holiday gift-giving, and sappy movies and TV. In her life her eyes gazed upon Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, the Alps, tea estates of the Nilgiris, rugged Rajasthan, the endless blue of open seas, and the Taj Mahal. She complained little and when she did it was usually amusing. She was our family historian – she knew who we were and where we came from. And Elisabeth was radically honest, an empathetic listener, generous with her time and forgiveness. She shared and encouraged the enthusiasms of those she cared about. She will also be remembered as a gifted photographer, famed amongst family and friends for her group selfies. No matter the size, Elisabeth always found a way to get everyone in the picture.

Her beloved nephew once left his stuffed bunny in a rented cabin and so Aunt Elisabeth wrote and illustrated a beautiful book about the incident from the bunny’s perspective. More books were supposedly in the works, as was a sailing adventure along the Dalmatian coast and a return to her beloved India. Just weeks ago that same nephew left another stuffy at her house after a visit, and so the stuffy went on fabulous adventures all documented by Auntie’s camera and was soon returned comfy in his box under a blankie with saltwater taffy to snack on while in the mail.

Elisabeth found great joy in little comforts like dressing up with a niece or rough-housing with a nephew, trying to figure out how to put on a sari, and giving everyone matching pajamas at the holidays. How easy it is for those who knew her to picture Elisabeth quiet and contented, enjoying the breeze and the summer sun.

Elisabeth’s life mattered immeasurably and she lived it fully and well. She loved deeply and was deeply loved. Elisabeth appreciated that life was a wild, beautiful gift, and her life was a wild and beautiful gift to all she shared it with. Her sudden, cruel loss has left a void that can never be filled, a deafening silence, a darkness that deepens by the day. We were all so proud of her, so happy in her company and even in the simple thought of her, and we all loved her so very much. Our despair is boundless. But her legacy will be in the joyous love she gave so generously. That love will linger on, and so will she. The world will not soon go wanting for Elisabeth stories, and her laughter will echo forever in the memories of those blessed to hear it, growing louder and sweeter with time.

Elisabeth Burnett Martin will be forever in our hearts. Her family would like to ask all who knew and loved her to join them in celebrating her beautiful life on Sunday, May 28, 2023. A memorial service will be held at Washington Crossing Historic Park, River Rd., between New Hope and Washington Crossing PA in the General Sullivan Pavilion from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. A light lunch will be provided and guests are encouraged to join the family in sharing stories and fond memories of Elisabeth. Following the memorial service will be a celebration of life held at Horsham VFW Post 9788, 324 Saw Mill Lane, Horsham, PA from 4:00 - 8:00. Please feel free to bring a dish to the hall that reminds you of Elisabeth. A few of Elisabeth's favorite local bands will be playing in her honor throughout the evening.

All friends are welcome to attend both events throughout the day or stop by as their schedules allow. The family looks forward to honoring Elisabeth and celebrating her life with you.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: It’s A Ruff Life Rescue, at 2113 Hamilton, NJ 08690; or to Bucks County SPCA at PO Box 277 in Lahaska, PA 18931.

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