Martha Welch Clendaniel, 79, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, peacefully passed away at home on January 22, 2023 with
her husband and two daughters by her side following a brave 4-year battle with multiple myeloma.
Martha was born on November 11, 1943 in Milford, Delaware. Martha attended Milford High School where she first
met and began dating her husband, George. Martha, or “Marty” as she was known to many, was an active student
athlete/leader in field hockey, basketball and cheerleading. Following graduation, she attended the University of
Delaware where she pursued and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Education.
After graduation, Martha married her high school sweetheart and taught school in Delaware while her husband was
deployed in Vietnam. In 1967 the couple moved to Pittsburgh, where they put down new roots and started a family.
Martha was very involved in her girls lives, serving as their Girl Scout leader, working in the PTA and volunteering for
countless school programs and activities. She was also active with the League of Women Voters. In 1972, Martha
helped her husband start their family construction management firm, Management Engineering Corporation. Martha
held the position as Corporate Secretary for over 50 years and was a key member of the leadership team, responsible
for payroll, taxes and other accounting matters for the first 30 years of business.
Martha enjoyed spending the seasons at different homes: spring, fall and Christmas was spent in Pittsburgh, PA;
summers at Slaughter Beach, DE and winters in Naples, FL. She was blessed to have made wonderful friends in each
city and cherished the time spent with all of them. Her childhood love of sports extended into her adult years with
water skiing, snow skiing, playing paddleball and watching the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins win many championships.
Martha enjoyed golf, playing year round at both Valley Brook CC in Pittsburgh and Naples Lakes CC in Naples, and was
known for a picture perfect swing. In the summers, at her beloved beach house, she spent time tending to “Marty’s
Garden”; sitting on the “little deck” from early morning with a good cup of strong coffee watching the sunrise and
migrating birds through to the evening happy hours with beloved friends & neighbors.
She enjoyed shopping with her girls and was always interested in teaching them about depression glassware and
antique kitchenware such as egg cups and bakers cabinets. Martha was a tremendous cook and generous hostess,
warmly welcoming friends and family to her Slaughter Beach home every Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day
as well as hosting an annual reunion for the couples’ college friends.
In Naples, she also enjoyed exploring the wonderful restaurants, playing cards, and participating in book clubs. She
was a member of the Naples Botanical Gardens and spent many evenings watching the sunset on the beach with her
husband and dear friends. Martha also treasured the time spent with her husband and daughters on the many family
trips taken throughout her life.
Martha was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Hilda Welch, step-mother Virginia Welch, her brother,
Stephen Welch and her cousin, David Sockrider. Martha is survived by her husband of 57 years, George Clendaniel, her
daughters, Kristen Clendaniel Clark and Kelly Clendaniel, and her brother and sisters-in-law, Gary & Norma Clendaniel,
Linda Welch, and Norma Welch. She is also survived by beloved nieces and nephews Steve Welch (Kathryn), Scott
Welch (Beth), Wayde Clendaniel, Meade Clendaniel (Meredith), Ryan Clendaniel (Shanda), Christie DiNatale (Vinnie)
and Adam Davis as well as close cousins Linda Sockrider, Barbara Johnson (Jim), Emily Green (Michael), Kyle Johnson
(Ashley), Dick and Jean Clendaniel, Steve and Gail Clendaniel and Sherrill Morris. She is survived by numerous grandnieces
and nephews with whom she loved spending time and watching grow into smart, strong, caring young people.
Visitation Services will be held at Beinhauer Family Funeral Home in McMurray, PA on Friday, January 27th from
5:00pm to 8:00pm followed by a Funeral Service at Beinhauer on Saturday, January 28th at 11:00am.
Visitation and Funeral Services will also be held for Martha at Rogers Funeral Home in Milford, DE on Tuesday January
31st with Visitation from 10:30am to 1:00pm and Funeral Services at 1:00pm. She will be laid to rest in Lincoln, DE.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Martha in Naples, FL in March.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Martha’s memory to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
https://themmrf.org/
Rogers Funeral Home
Rogers Funeral Home
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