Mary Martin (née Burke), 62, of West Milford passed away on July 18, 2024, surrounded by her loving family after a long and courageous battle with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Born in Queens, NY, and raised in Hackensack, NJ, she eventually moved to West Milford, where she lived for 34 years. Mary worked as an administrative assistant for ITT in Clifton, NJ, for many years, then at Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton for 10 years before retiring. She took pride in her work and always spoke highly of her coworkers, many of whom became close friends. Mary was the kindest woman and her smile could truly light up a room.

Being a mother was her biggest dream, and after 17 years of IVF treatments, she gave birth to her only daughter. She was a devoted and beloved mother of Margaret "Maggie" Martin and her boyfriend Gavin Stecher of Collingswood.

She was the loving sister of Carol (Philip) Antivo of Myrtle Beach, SC.  She was predeceased by her identical twin sister, Theresa Rinaldi of Clifton, NJ, and her parents, William and Elizabeth Burke. She is survived by many beloved nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend their sincerest thanks to the wonderful staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They would also like to express their gratitude for their neighbors (past and present) in Mountain Springs Lake community who always treated Mary and Maggie like family and took great care of them over the years.

A memorial gathering will take place on Saturday, July 27, from 2 – 6 PM at the Shook Funeral Home, 639 Van Houten Ave., Clifton. Cremation was private. In lieu of flowers please send donations to Seascapes, a free seashore retreat for Breast Cancer patients and survivors to heal though mindfulness, meditation, and watercolor seascape painting. (https://seascaperetreat.org)