Martha Jean Ashby Ambrosi

In the late afternoon of December 26th, 2025, while the air was crisp, the birds were singing, and most people were still easing out of the excitement of Christmas, the ever-tenacious and bold Martha Jean Ashby Ambrosi exhaled her last breath.

Martha was born in Jamestown, New York, to Jack and Mabel Ashby on February 23rd, 1935. When she was in her late teens, she married Edwin Seekins and went on to raise five children: Stephanie, Laurie, Susan, Michael, and David.

After her divorce from Edwin, Martha stepped fully into her own. This was a time when women were rarely viewed as breadwinners and had only recently been granted the ability to open bank accounts without a male co-signer. Martha did not wait for permission. She became entrepreneurial, carving out a successful career in sales through sheer intelligence, grit, and presence. She once spoke of intentionally creating a “character” early on, someone she could step into on sales calls. Someone who was confident, informed, unflappable, charismatic, and charming. She later joked that “somewhere along the way I forgot it was a character, it just became me.” Martha was a force.

In her 50s, Martha was happily remarried to Art Ambrosi. After his passing, she returned to a life she quietly cherished, living on her own, entirely on her own terms. She rose at dawn, coffee in hand, watching the deer graze in her yard, greeting them again at dusk with her nightly cocktail, a screwdriver to be exact. These rituals were small, sacred pleasures, and they suited her well. However, her entrepreneurial spirit still called to her.

With success in sales came foresight. Long before it was fashionable, Martha recognized the potential in properties others overlooked. She began investing in real estate, partnering with her son-in-law, William Grimes, a skilled craftsman. Together, they repaired, restored, and revived numerous properties throughout the Lynchburg area. Martha supplied the vision and strategy, and William provided the hands that brought it to life. It was work rooted not only in profit, but in discernment and timing. She was consistently ahead of the curve.

She had an exquisite eye and appreciated the finer things in life, but Martha never clung to possessions. She was generous in a way that felt instinctive and sincere. If you admired something of hers, a painting, a piece of jewelry, or a set of dishes, you were just as likely to find it being handed to you on the spot or waiting for you the next time she saw you. More than that, she gave her time. Martha was known for her phone calls, thoughtfully checking in on friends and family, especially when she sensed someone was struggling. While she was a bit of a worrier, warning you of upcoming storms or other things she thought you should be concerned about, she made people feel remembered, considered, and cared for, often without fanfare, but always with intention. She loved deeply.

Martha painted breathtaking watercolor scenes, including ocean seascapes, flowers, birds, and anything else that brought her peace or caught her creative eye. Many of these paintings still hang in her children’s homes, each piece unique and reflective of her personal flair. Her artistry extended beyond canvas and brush and into the kitchen. You have not truly had apple pie unless you were lucky enough to taste Martha’s apple pie. Her Swedish meatballs were the things dreams are made of, lovingly crafted, indulgent, and unforgettable. In fact, her quiches were so delicious that she once sold them to a gourmet shop in New Hampshire. Many of her recipes have been passed around the family as coveted possessions. She was an artist in the truest sense.

Martha Jean Ashby Ambrosi was bold, opinionated, sharp-minded, and deeply self-possessed. People rarely left her presence unchanged. They left challenged, inspired, occasionally intimidated, but always impressed. She lived as she was, unapologetically herself, ahead of her time, and entirely her own woman. In a world that often tried to tell her she should be small, quiet, and passive, Martha was big-spirited, loud, opinionated, successful, intelligent, and kind. She was unlike many.

Martha is survived by her five children and their spouses: Stephanie and Michael Connors; Laurie Johnson, whose lifelong partner, Robert Christian, predeceased Martha; Susan and William Grimes; Michael and Pamela Seekins; and David Seekins and Melissa Reynolds; her stepsons, Serge and Marc; as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

If you would like to make a donation in honor of Martha, please donate to Lynchburgdailybread.com

A service will be held at Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg, on Monday, January 5, 2026 at 10 AM. 

Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.