Martha-Marie Kleinhans

Obituary/ life review prepared by: Erica Reid Gerdes, Waxwing Journeys

Martha-Marie Kleinhans was born in 1963 to Robert George Kleinhans and Joyce Linda Richardson.  A year later, her brother David Jonathan was born, creating a life-long friendship and partner in crime for Martha-Marie. Growing up in Toronto and Chicago, Martha-Marie and David were inseparable, so much so that when they were placed in separate rooms in nursery school, they each slept near the door so they could see each other and wave. Throughout their youth, they got into their fair share of trouble, each being the other's biggest fan and co-conspirator, often testing what items would catch fire, all the while laughing and having the time of their lives.

Martha-Marie loved school at an early age, and this desire for continued learning would last for decades. You "couldn't tear her away" from school—often taking extra subjects and extracurricular activities. In middle school, she ran for class Treasurer, coining the campaign slogan, "Put your hands in clean hands with Kleinhans." Despite the brilliance of that slogan, she did not win the election.  This did not deter her love of school, however, and she and David often took summer school classes, much to David's chagrin.

A few years after her parents separated, Martha-Marie chose to live with her father, which provided a nurturing environment for continued learning. The question in her family was always "which college are you attending" and never "will you be attending college," so she enrolled in Saint Xavier University in Chicago.  She decided she wanted to move back to Canada, so she transferred to McGill University to major in Engineering.  Unfortunately, Martha-Marie was disillusioned by the misogyny of the environment, so she switched her program of study to English Literature.  She then found that she had credits for most of that program, so she did what any strong-willed academic would do—she dropped out and started working at the La Ronde Amusement Park in Montreal.

After the park season ended, she moved back to Chicago and joined the storefront theatre scene. While stage managing a show, she met a director and set carpenter named John DeWitte, and the two of them hit it off instantly. While she and John dated, she worked at Illinois Masonic hospital during the day and did theatre at night. Eventually, she decided to go back to school at McGill, and though she had fallen in love with John, the two of them parted ways. Back in Montreal, she worked as a grant-writer for the free alternative newspaper Montreal Mirror, and she founded the first college radio station in Montreal, Québec, CKUT FM, which is still broadcasting today.  From there, she spent a few years traveling across Europe as a production coordinator for several major motion pictures and tv programs, work that she dearly loved.

Feeling the need to complete her educational journey, Martha-Marie re-enrolled in McGill to obtain her bachelor's and master's degrees. In this five-year span, she spent summers in Chicago working for her brother's company and earning the Best Aunt award multiple years in a row as she spoiled her nephews with numerous Chicago zoo and museum outings, top shelf made to order meals, and Harry Potter audio CDs. After pursuing a law degree at McGill, Martha-Marie attended the University of London to get her PhD in Corporate Law. She then held an associate professorship and became an Associate Dean at the University of Reading, commuting between Reading and London each day. During this time, she was always on the go and active: playing tennis, being a part of a yacht crew, and salsa dancing. She also continued to travel, spending a couple of months in Singapore and three months hiking in Nepal. She worked at the university for many years, and was later charged with opening a U of Reading campus branch in Iskandar, Malaysia. There, she served as Vice-Provost for just under 7 years, and was responsible for general operations. She loved her time (and the food) in Malaysia, and made many friends and memories. After an economic downturn, she decided to move back to Chicago. This decision was made easier by the reconnection with her old boyfriend John, who had recently found her on LinkedIn.

John offered to pick Martha-Marie up from the airport and take her to dinner, and she knew then and there that they would be together for the rest of their lives. Together, John and Martha-Marie enjoyed many of Chicago's finest offerings: opera, concerts, and other cultural events; dining at exquisite restaurants and surprising each other with secret restaurant reservations; and mostly just spending time together, taking long walks while holding hands. They stayed side by side through lots of medical ups and downs, including surgeries and physical and occupational therapies.

In 2017, Martha-Marie was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer, which proved to be the biggest obstacle of their lives, yet Martha-Marie was not going to let it slow her down. In 2018, she and John got married, and she continued to work her jobs at the American Bar Association as well as getting her tax certification at H&R Block while undergoing surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. When her cancer became metastatic, she continued to create community around her by joining Gilda's Club Chicago, which expanded her network of support immensely.  Life wasn't easy, but with the team of caregivers and support systems around her along with her supportive crew of friends and family, Martha-Marie continued to smile and embrace every bit of life that she could.

In January of 2023, Martha-Marie and John traveled with David, sister-in-law Laura, and nephews Joe and Matt to visit her other nephew RJ at his home in St. Petersburg, Florida. Playing fishbowl and taco-cat-goat-pizza games with the nephews between naps and spending time on the porch created a special and lasting memory for her extended family. In February 2023, Martha-Marie and John took a dream vacation to Singapore and Malaysia to visit old friends, eat good food, and see the sights. She had a fabulous time, and it was a highlight in her journey of living with cancer. Upon their return, Martha-Marie was plagued with fatigue, dehydration, and low blood pressure, and she was admitted to the hospital, where she remained until the end of her life. In that time, many loved ones, all of whom expressed their love and admiration to Martha-Marie, visited her and kept her company. On March 18, 2023, she peacefully passed away with music playing and family by her side.

Martha-Marie was truly a spirit like no other. Her smile would light up a room. Her energy was infectious. A punk-rocker to the core, Martha-Marie always wore all black and a smile. She loved coffee, curries, sushi, cinnamon, and ginger. She was an avid scrapbooker, documenting each year of her life. She loved laughing and hearing others laugh. She was so proud of her nephews, and her brother was her best friend. Her relationship with John brought so much joy into the last decade of her life.

Martha-Marie leaves behind a strong legacy, and her memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. A celebration of life will be held at a later date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Martha-Marie's memory to Gilda's Club Chicago, 537 North Wells Street, Chicago, Illinois 60654, www.gildasclubchicago.org , 312-464-9900.

For further information please call 312-421-0936.