It is with profound sadness that we let you know our former board member and good friend to CWC, Gwen Martin, has passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.
Gwen was born in Bristol, England and moved to Ontario as a young child. She began her career as a geologist, and then made a living as a writer and editor. She taught writing and editing workshops, authored Our Forest Heritage, a publication for the Province of NB, plus four geology books: Once Upon a Mine, For the Love of Stone (Vols 1 and 2), and Gesner’s Dream – The Trials and Triumphs of Early Mining in New Brunswick.
Gwen joined CWC in February 2020 and was a devoted supporter of crime writing and an active board member. She became ill in 2023. As her strength permitted, Gwen volunteered to complete tasks for CWC. Her most notable recent project was cleaning up that Mega List of 2000 names.
We will remember Gwen for her intelligence, generosity, incredible kindness and sharp sense of humour. She will be missed very much.
In September, CWC will announce the naming of an Awards of Excellence prize in Gwen’s honour.
Please see below for more comments and memories of Gwen, shared by those who knew and loved her well; and you may login below to add your own messages.
Gwen’s obituary can be found here: https://mcadamsfh.com/tribute/details/1761/Gwen-Martin/obituary.html#tribute-start
It was a joy to work with Gwen while she served on the Board. I was sad when she had to leave for health reasons and sadder now that those reasons have come to their closure.
I know she will be missed by friends and family. She is also missed by an all too temporary co-worker.
Alison Bruce, past Executive Director
I am heartsick to read this. Gwen was absolutely amazing to work with when I was Chair and took on so much as a volunteer. There would be no separate Atlantic Provinces Region without Gwen’s tireless efforts to cajole, recruit, and create the region. Gwen always made time, too, to come to webinars and meet-and-greets, and to share her wealth of knowledge. She was a true treasure and she will be missed.
A truly remarkable woman.
I will remember Gwen for her kindness, thoughtfulness, and insight. To quote the last EMail I received from her: “Hard to find all that in a single person. That person be you, as Eeyore said to Winnie the Pooh, albeit in a rather different context.”
Cathy Fynn (CWC ED) June 18, 2024 - 2:52 PM
Gwen’s passion and fearlessness transformed the people and causes she loved. She saw through flaws and walls to the purity inside and held it up for us to see and believe in. The world will not be the same without her; she left it a better place.