Martha Emanuel's life was defined by several distinct passions. She loved her family and friends. She loved the theme parks, especially Walt Disney World. She loved Christmas, from the lights and decorations to the Hallmark movies and music. She loved the Miami Dolphins, even though she knew they were perpetual also-rans.

Martha, who was born on Dec. 1 in 1942, was a people person.

Martha's life suddenly came to an end on July 29, 2025, when doctors at South Lake Hospital in Clermont were unable to resuscitate her after an cardiac episode at her home that afternoon. She was 82.

Survived by her husband Bob and children Bob Jr. and Chris, Martha left a lasting legacy. Chris was born with special needs, and Martha and her husband Bob fought for the rights of special needs children. She was PTA president at Chris's school, The Quest in Hollywood, Florida. Together, the couple – wed on Oct. 9, 1971, just eight days after the opening of the Magic Kingdom – helped organize social events for the special needs population in south Florida prior to the family's relocation to Clermont in 2010. In Clermont, she was a staple at the Clermont Bowling Lanes with the South Lake Bowlers.

While she enjoyed numerous friendships, family was most special to Martha. Her eldest son, Bob Jr., moved to Clermont several years after the rest of the family, and an addition was built onto the family home for him in 2017.

Born in Manhattan during World War II, Martha grew up with her brother Pat and parents Salvatore and Grace Anzaldi. She moved south in 1967 and met her husband-to-be soon after. Family was so important to Martha that she lived on the same physical block as her parents, her brother, Bob's parents, Bob's sister, and her cousin and her uncle. Seven of the 12 houses on that physical block were in the family.

Martha provided care to her husband and best friend daily after he was injured in an accident at Eastern Airlines in 1989, a span of more than 13,300 days together before her passing. In total, they were married nearly 54 years, a span of more than 19,600 days. She also provided care for Chris nearly every day of his life prior to her passing. He was, and always will be, her baby, and she was his dearest friend.

A lifetime sports fan, Martha began to follow the Miami Dolphins along with her father, Sal, when they moved to Florida. Decades later, Bob Jr. worked at the Miami Herald, where he served as one of the writers who covered the team for nearly a decade – a source of pride for Martha to know her son wrote about the team they were most passionate about.

Christmas was also a source of Martha's bonding with her family. Bob Jr. would get her Christmas pieces every year. It did not matter if it was Christmas, her anniversary, her birthday or mother's day. The gift was always the same – more pieces for her collection, one that saw nearly 300 Department 56 and similar houses under her Christmas tree. The village grew so large in recent years that it took up 120 square feet of her living room – roughly the size of a small apartment in her native Manhattan, one that would cost upward of $3,000 today.

The last few years of Martha's life presented numerous challenges. She went for a hip replacement and had three knees replaced. (Yes, one was done twice after an infection set in the first time.) Through it all, Martha never lost her passion for life. The day before she passed, Bob Jr. welcomed friends from elementary, middle and high school, along with his friend's mother Janice. That night, Martha raved about what a great day she had, how nice it was to see so many important people to the lives of her family and how wonderfully she enjoyed the conversations of that day.

Friends are welcome for visitation at Becker Funeral Home on Tuesday, August 5, between 6:30-9 p.m. A brief prayer service will be held at 7:30 that evening.