Martha Kettunen

Kettunen, Martha 12/8/1931 - 2/4/2021 Bellaire Martha (Marty) Gibbs Kettunen passed away peacefully in her Bellaire, Michigan home in the early morning of February 4, 2021, with family by her side. The daughter of Earl and Marguerite Gibbs, Martha was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. Martha graduated from Sexton High School and was a talented pianist and vocalist. She studied music at Michigan State University where she graduated with Honors in 1952 and where she met and fell in love with her future husband, Robert (Bob) Kettunen of East Lansing. The couple married in 1952, and soon after, Bob left for Korea to serve as a combat tank platoon leader. Upon Bob's return, they moved to Ann Arbor, where he entered the University of Michigan Medical School. Marty remembered those days as some of the happiest of her life. After Bob completed medical training they settled in Kalamazoo. The Kettunen home on Academy Street became an open house for neighborhood kids who were drawn by Martha's kindness, warmth and fun-loving attitude. Adults were also attracted to her intelligence, wit and charm. Throughout her life, Marty believed strongly in giving back to the community. She volunteered at the Kalamazoo State Hospital, led the children's choir at Zion Lutheran Church, arranged music and played piano at her children's school events, and was a docent at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. She was an active member of the Kalamazoo Bach Festival Society, the Kalamazoo Art League, and the Friends of the Bellaire Library. After Bob's retirement, the couple moved to northern Michigan, where they enjoyed the golf courses and ski resorts near their Bellaire home. Bob was Martha's loving husband for 56 years until his passing in 2009. Marty was and continues to be the heart and soul of the Kettunen family. Her unwavering support and love for her husband, children, and grandchildren remains vital and essential to them all. She is survived by her five children: Robert Gibbs (Yuko) of New York City, NY, Paul Andrew of Detroit, John Thomas of Bellaire, William Eric (Ingrid) of Greenbrae, CA, Kathryn Kettunen Stempin (Carl) of Seattle, WA, and her two grandchildren, Anders Klein and Annika Kathryn Kettunen of Greenbrae, CA. A celebration of Martha's life is planned for the late spring or early summer. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be directed to Marty's favorite charity, Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital. A longer tribute to Marty and her life can be found at https://www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com/obituary/Martha-Kettunen.