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Share a special moment from Terri's life.

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Beautiful Days

March 7, 2023
Beautiful Days - Kua ana
My sister Terri had a great sense of humor. So many times we'd laugh at something until we fell down crying, and continue laughing days later. This happened when we were kids and it continued into adulthood. Terri was beautiful and those were beautiful days.

craig

H2O Polo Snack Bar Buddies Forever!!!

March 20, 2016

Walking onto the Northwood High School pool deck these past 2 weeks during swim meets has been so somber for me because this place is where a lot of the action took place for Terri and me.  Us two with other moms, hanging out to cheer for our sons during their waterpolo games and swim meets, while running the snack bar.  Everywhere I look now, a flood of fond memories come over me.  Sweet Terri, I'm missing you!!!

I've had the privilege of getting to know and work with Terri for the past 3 years.  She would be one of the first people to show up to set-up the snack bar and stay til tear-down.  She had such a giving heart by donating items to help with the sales.  I once gave her kudos for suggesting that we sell different varieties of sodas, not just Coke and Sprite.  Our customers (mostly students) loved the choices!  Understanding kids and being like one herself (hahaha), she knew it would be a cool treat for them.

Terri was so fun and energetic.  During one of our waterpolo home games, she came dressed in a cute fireman outfit because it was Halloween Day!  With an infectious big smile is how I saw her all the time, especially when she spoke about Kayson and Bronze.  I always complimented her on how sweet and polite her kids were.  She'd blush and say "Thank you".  I know her kids will carry on her legacy!!!  XOxo...

I thank God for giving me the chance to meet such an amazing gal and share such precious moments.  Terri, thank you for touching my life and being my "snack bar buddy"!!!  I know you'll be smiling down from Heaven... til we meet again... =) 

March 18, 2016

My Aunt Terri was full of life. She was vibrant, youthful, and always engaging. I remember how relatable she always felt to me. She would chat about your life and want to know what was going on with you without any age gap or expectation. Looking back, I’m sure that’s how she made everyone feel. She really could get along with anyone, of any age, and in a sense that made her timeless. 

I remember her always wanting to gab with us “girls” (the cousins) when Keeley, Angela, Tiffany and I would stay in Newport for a week in the summer. She would bring Kayson to hang out with us, and we’d braid Kayson’s hair or lay out on the beach and Aunt Terri would want to catch up on our lives: she was always asking about boys, friends, school, clothes, makeup, you name it. She loved to be social and I think that’s one of the biggest reasons I personally found her so relatable. 

Growing up, I thought of her as the quintessential California girl, embodying the breezy upbeat lifestyle of fun-in-the-sun that seemed so glamorous to me when I was young, living in Colorado. It always felt special when we would get to see her.

I will never forget her laugh, how she proudly talked about Kayson and Bronze, and her cheerful, bubbly spirit. I will always be able to picture her and hear the sound of her voice clear as day.

March 12, 2016

When Gerry called me shortly after meeting Terri, he told me this girl was really special, that she was a Japanese beauty who was fiercely independent, smart, and owned her own business. After such a glowing description, I couldn't wait to meet the girl that had captured my brother's heart.  As I saw the love blossom between the two of them, I was thrilled that Gerry had met his match and more. It was my gain when they married, as now I got her as a sister and a friend. Terri was very loving and always put others first. She loved Gerry and her children deeply and conversations were more about what they were doing and how proud of them she was than her own personal aspirations or accomplishments.

She had a zest for life and the adventure it offered. I always remember Terri smiling or laughing, sharing a funny story, or ready to do something fun with you. She was curious about people and listened with an intensity that was endearing and personal. It was all about you. She asked thoughtful questions and even remembered years later, thoughts or stories that you had shared with her. Terri never had an agenda or ego. She loved you for who you were and always made you feel you were special.

She put others first and I remember visiting her and Gerry the first time in CA and she was so insistent that Gerry take me to all their favorite spots, and show me the CA that she so loved.

When they moved to GA, she missed CA but embraced all the great things about the state, including the southern accents and interesting food, special only to the south! 
When I would visit them, she would do everything she could to make me feel comfortable and happy and this included doing things like visiting the N GA mountains, seeing the leaves change in the fall, finding the boiled peanuts that we Martins all coveted, going to Kripsy Creme, and eating at the wonderful restaurants that ATL had. It was all a great big adventure to her, and she loved being a part of it all. (Well, maybe not the humidity or mosquitos that loved her so!) 

At the core, no matter how much she and Gerry traveled, or how much she enjoyed her time in ATL, she seemed to be a CA girl at heart. When they returned to CA, she radiated in the warm climate and ocean breeze. 

When you were around Terri, you couldn't help but get excited about what she was excited about. I remember when she started watching the food network and wanted to share all the interesting things she was learning from it. I defintiely benefitted from a few things she took away from that show! She loved reminding you of funny stories from your past and there were times we would both be doubled over in laughter at the memories she recounted. 

Terri was special, just as Gerry told me after first meeting her! I know her as a wonderful friend and sister-in-law, a beauty who saw the beauty in others, a confidant, a listener, a compassionate, thoughtful and generous human being, a fun loving adventurer, an incredible mom to her children, and a loving wife to my brother. She will be forever missed and loved forever. It has been my privilege to know her and love her. 

xo, jan

 

March 12, 2016

From the moment I met Terri, I knew that she and Gerry were a perfect match. Her love for life, her adventuresome spirit and her genuine nature made her such a joy to be around. She had such a big heart and beautiful smile. She and Gerry were always in sync on aspirations for career, children and enjoying life itself. They had so much fun together as a couple and as a family.

It was always so much fun going to Terri and Gerry’s house.  They made you feel so special. Terri always worried whether we were comfortable enough, had enough blankets food to eat, etc... she was so cute making sure that we always felt right at home.  Late night girl talks about everything under the sun, including talks about our kids and how proud we were of them, remain present in my mind. Terri was so easy to talk to and discussions were fun and natural because she was such a part of our family from day number one.

I remember how excited Terri was, when she discovered the Food Network Channel. She would make these wonderful gourmet meals for Gerry and the kids. She actually was the one who turned me on to it.  Now every time I watch the Food Network channel – which has been a lot lately, I think about Terri and how much enjoyment she got from all of her new dish discoveries.

When we came to Georgia to visit, she and Gerry had a long list of things for us to see and do. She was so excited for us to experience them just as they had.  We had so much fun all going to Woody’s, the Braves Game and rafting down the river. I will never forget the morning we went rafting and were all freezing on the morning of our raft trip. We all jumped at the chance to go to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and have them fresh and hot out of the oven before our raft trip started.  We all agreed that there was nothing like it and then proceeded to purchase Krispy Kreme sweatshirts to stay warm.  We of course then looked like the Krispy Kreme family as we climbed into the raft to start our rafting trip down the Chattahoochee River. We all laughed about this story so many times over the years and it never got old telling it.

After Terri and Gerry moved back to California, Terri told me that as much as she loved Georgia that she would always be a California girl. She was so excited to be back in California with her family and so happy that the kids had a chance to experience both Georgia and California.  She and Gerry always made sure that when I came to visit, that my trip included a ride along the coast so I could take in the beautiful views. We shared stories about the kids, talked of TV shows we enjoyed and once even practiced our singing skills-singing California Girls from her playlist.  Needless to say our singing skills left a lot to be desired, but we had fun singing and laughing about it anyway.  

Terri is a beautiful soul inside and out.  She will be so truly missed here on earth. She was a great mom wife, sister and friend. She loved Bronze, Kayson and Gerry so very much and was so proud of each one.  I know in my heart that she will continue to watch over all of them throughout their lives. She will be in our hearts forever and has left a footprint on this earth that will never be forgotten.

We love you Terri, Gerry, Kayson and Bronze!

 

March 11, 2016

This was the last time I got to see Terri and she was so sweet, making sure everything was perfect and all set up on the boat for my birthday. This picture is of my two children and all the sisters and sister-in-laws (who were friends as well and as close as a sister) on the Martin side of the family. We talked about our kids and how lucky we were to have such wonderful and loving children. She was so excited for me that I was getting to enjoy the beautiful CA on the water, with my family and enjoying the great food she and Gerry picked up from Newport Beach. xo, jan

Motherhood

March 10, 2016

The first time we met

Two moms taking two kids

Passing life guard test our boys did

Now comes the TB test they need

 

A smile on your face, you said “Hi”

A warm friendship I recognized

Through our kids we built a relationship

We shared stories of our parenting journeys

 

Terri, I wish we had longer time

To share more stories of our sons’ journeys

I am sorry you have to leave so abruptly

And I will miss you dearly

Terri is now a sweet angel shining down on us...

March 9, 2016

Our hearts are so saddened that Terri is no longer with us.  I got to know Terri through the strong friendship among the group of water polo boys of which Gerry and Terri’s son, Bronze, and my son, Bradley, are a part of.  Likewise, the water polo moms have grown closer after time spent together cheering the boys on at water polo games, volunteering behind the snack bar, and having fun at “water polo mom gatherings”.  

Terri was so sweet, fun, and easy-going. I will always have a smile on my face when recalling the laughter and silliness we shared when the moms gathered at the shadowbox assembly party.

Praying for God's comfort, peace and understanding for Gerry, Bronze and Kayson and their extended family as they surely miss her more than could be imagined.

Terri is now a sweet angel shining down on us. 

Joyful Smile

March 9, 2016

Notice who is smiling the biggest in this photo!! We took a bunch of photos the day we gathered together to make our sons' water polo shadow boxes. And in every photo, Terri was smiling and joking around. In one photo, she was actually falling on the ground because she was laughing so hard! That is the Terri that I will remember - fun, lively, full of life, loving, and smart, oh and with a great sense of humor!!

Senior Water Polo Moms

March 9, 2016

One Sunday afternoon in November 2015, the moms of the senior water polo players at Northwood High School gathered to have lunch together and to assemble our sons' shadow boxes to be presented to them at the upcoming water polo banquet. Us moms had a blast taking photos wearing our sons' caps. Terri was very expressive and silly in all of the photos! She was so much fun to be with that day. What I remember most was how nervous she was making the shadow box for Bronze because she said she wasn't very crafty and she wanted to position Bronze's metals and photos just right on the fabric-covered background before placing the glass case on top. However, it was so amusing watching her attempt to do this craft project. In the end, the shadow box turned out great and wonderful memories were created that afternoon!  I shall miss my fellow water-polo-mom friend tremendously!!

March 8, 2016

I am beyond devastated from the loss of my radiant and kind-hearted Aunt.  Her smile could absolutely illuminate any room and we were all so lucky that she wore it so much during any interaction you had with her.

My Aunt Terri was always so thoughtful and caring.  She was a great listener, always asking poignant questions and providing deep and contemplative insights, but also a great storyteller.

I always loved hearing stories about how she and my uncle Gerry met.  It was fun to hear these stories told by both of them together as their perspectives sometimes varied, which was amusing, but also you could also see them reliving the moments as they were talking about them.   They were an inspiration to me as couple as the love they had for each other was so apparent.  They seemed to celebrate their relationship always and took time to enjoy life and have fun.  The love she had for Kayson and Bronze was also noticeably abundant.  She would light up when talking about them and you could see how much she treasured and admired them.  She was so proud of them.  It is so clear to see why Kayson and Bronze are such incredible, impressive, considerate people as a result of who she was and how much she loved them.

I still remember when I was younger, going to stay in Tustin with my aunt and uncle and how much fun I had.  I remember they had just gotten some bunnies that we got to play with and I felt so cool getting to stay over and hang out with them.  I also remember my Aunt Terri teaching me a long time ago to roll my clothes when packing them in a suitcase for traveling.  To this day, I still use this method (it save so much space!) and always tell people my Aunt Terri taught me whenever they remark about it (which happens a lot!).  My favorite and most recent memory of my Aunt Terri, was on a pontoon boat in Newport for my mom’s birthday.  I had the pleasure of sitting next to Aunt Terri for most of the day on the boat and we talked about everything under the sun (literally).  It was such a great conversation and I valued her insight and guidance on several topics we discussed immensely.

Aunt Terri, you will truly be forever deeply missed.  The world was lucky to have had someone as kind, beautiful, loving and warm as you.  We will look out for your family in your absence and always cherish the time we were able to spend with you. 

March 8, 2016

We are still reeling from the news that we have lost Terri.  She will be remembered for her ever bubbly personality and her radiant smile.  She and I bonded immediately, 25 years ago when our husbands introduced us.  Their visits back to Atlanta and their stays with us were always so much fun.  We loved sharing our southern culture and our indigenous southern restaurants/cuisine with her. She and I flew from our different cities to Chicago for a girl's trip many years ago and attended the Oprah show.  We shared our first Chicago pizza together (one slice was enough) and searched high and low for the ultimate Chicago dog.  We found it! She was instrumental in my search for my birth mom.  On that Chicago trip, she asked me why I'd never searched and I had no answer.  She encouraged me and as a result I have had a very close relationship with not only my birth mom but a half sister and brother too.  Terri was special indeed. We extend our sincere sympathy to Kayson, Bronze, Gerry and all of those who loved her as we did.  

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