Martha Louise Lessard née Meath
December 27, 1938 – November 15, 2019

Martha Louise Lessard née Meath, of College Station, passed away Friday, November 15th, 2019. A memorial service will be held to honor Martha on Saturday, January 18th, 2020, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church chapel, at 603 Church Ave, College Station, Texas. The service will begin at 2 pm. The service will be organized by Callaway-Jones Funeral Center.

Martha was born on December 27th, 1938, in Houston, Texas, to Paul Lamonte Meath and Kathryn Matilda Meath. Life spent at her family farm, now the middle of Houston’s vast sprawl, was always remembered with much love and nostalgia. Martha graduated from St.Agnes Academy in 1956 and Sacred Heart Dominican College in 1960 with a B.A. in biology. Martha met the love of her life, a young Texas Aggie graduate and new U.S.Air Force pilot, Charles Stephen Lessard, at a Sacred Heart college dance and after a whirlwind romance, they married at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on May 13, 1960. This new phase of her life as a military wife found her traveling the world the next two decades with her fondest duty station being Torrejón Air Force Base in Madrid, Spain from 1974-1980. Martha’s life came full circle when she moved back to College Station, Texas, in 1981, where she happily lived the rest of her years.

During her husband’s military service, Martha was a substitute teacher at various schools where they were stationed. Upon moving to College Station, Martha worked for ImmGen Inc. from 1983-1993 as a coordinator for Cattle Breed Associations and worked as the Director at Wonder World Education Center from 1993-2001. Martha received many honors throughout her life, such as being on the Deans List at Sacred Heart Dominican College from 1956-1960, being the Albertus Magnus Honor Society from 1958-1960, and receiving the Outstanding Young Women of America award in 1966. Martha spent much of her life giving back to the community where she lived by volunteering with numerous Air Force Officers Wives clubs during her 23 years as a military spouse, Cub Scouts, Multiple Sclerosis Society, March of Dimes, and Neighboorhood Volunteers for American Cancer Institute and Muscular Dystrophy. Her time spent as the Officers Wives Club Foreign Tours chair while living in Madrid, Spain, was always remembered most fondly as she would recount her Wives’ Club adventures to far-flung places such as Holland, Paris, Rome, London, Yugoslavia, Thailand, Belgium, Germany, Pompeii, Venice and many others.

Martha spent much of her life touching the hearts and minds of the young children within her community and formed long lasting bonds with the children and families she taught throughout her teaching career and time spent as the Director of Wonder World Educational Center. Martha expressed a fondness for biology and would light up as she talked about her experiences at ImmGen. Martha spent every day of her life giving to anyone and everyone she could. She would spend so much of her time trying to bring happiness and joy to her friends and family. Martha had such a fire and kindness in her that she would even have the grocery store check out attendants smiling and laughing as she indulged them in story after story.

Martha was predeceased by her father Paul Lamonte Meath and mother Kathryn Matilda Meath, her brother Paul Lamonte Meath Jr and sister Loie Lee Lund, and her son-in-law Darrell Wayne Utsler.

Martha is survived by her loving husband Charles Stephen Lessard, her sisters Monte Marie Davies and Kathryn Matilda Flores; her children Stephen Charles Lessard, Catherine Adelina Utsler, Joseph Paul Lessard, and Daniel Phillip Lessard; her sons-in-law Daniel Steven Dean and Marc Francois Haeringer; her grandchildren Caitlin Elizabeth Utsler, Ryland Michael Stephen Dean, Paul Joseph Lessard, and David Charles Lessard; and her great-grandson Aiden Stephen Charles Farmer and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Express condolences at CallawayJones.com.