Martha Ann (Auble) Alderman

Martha Ann Auble Alderman passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, July 31 after a brief, but hard-fought battle with cancer. She was 58.

Martha was one of the kindest people you would ever meet, which she always proudly attributed to her midwestern roots. She was born on July 6, 1961 in Cleveland, Ohio to Mary Spinning Auble and John August Auble. Raised in the suburb of Gates Mills, Martha loved exploring the woods and nearby ravine with her three brothers.

Martha attended Hathaway Brown school, where she was voted the funniest in her class. She was involved in many school activities and was the president of the school’s HB Carnival fundraiser her senior year, which started a life-long love for leading community projects.

At age 18, Martha was ready to see more of the country when she headed to college at the University of Vermont to study political science. Her junior year, she signed up to take part in Semester at Sea, a program that allowed her to travel around the world while taking classes aboard a cruise ship. Semester at Sea sparked a love of travel in Martha, and she never looked back.

After graduating from UVM, Martha got a job at Lloyd’s of London, the world’s leading insurance market. Not even slightly daunted by moving to a new country alone, off Martha went to England. With her bubbly personality and ability to make anyone feel comfortable, she made flocks of friends. She also caught the eye of a young Lloyd’s broker named Jerry Alderman, who, once meeting her at a post-work event, was charmed by her infectious good nature and love for life.

When her two-year stint in London came to an end, Martha and Jerry spent hours (and lots of money) on trans-Atlantic phone calls before deciding to get married. The pair then began planning a life in Boston, where Martha had accepted at job at Thomas E. Sears insurance agency, and were married in Martha’s hometown church on August 23, 1986.

In 1989, Martha and Jerry moved to Hingham, Massachusetts, the place that became their home for more than 30 years. They welcomed three happy and healthy babies into the world—Abby in ‘89, followed by Oliver in ‘91 and Emma in ’94. Martha loved being a mom and put her whole heart into giving her children the very best possible childhood.

Once all of her kids began school, Martha decided to go back to work, this time as a real estate broker. The job turned out to be the perfect fit. She made friends with every single one of her clients and was named Home Center Real Estate’s Broker of the Year within her first twelve months.

When she wasn’t playing tennis or walking her adored dogs in one of her hundreds of baseball caps, Martha loved volunteering her time for the community. She was an active member of the Hingham Mother’s Club for many years, frequently delivered Meals on Wheels to local people in need, and was a very popular Sunday School teacher at the family’s church, St. John’s. More recently, Martha volunteered weekly at the Hingham Food Pantry and the Hingham Public Library.

Martha is survived by her loving husband, Jerry, her three children, Abby, Oliver and Emma, her mother Mary, her three brothers David, John and Jamie, and numerous friends and extended family whom she deeply cherished.

Calling hours to visit with Martha’s family will be held at the Parish of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 172 Main Street, Hingham, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 8. A celebration of Martha’s life will also be held at St. John’s on Friday, August 9, at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Martha’s memory can be made to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation to help find a cure for this terrible disease. Please visit https://cholangiocarcinoma.org/get-involved/fundraisers-events/martha-alderman/.