Sandy Martin

Mrs. Sandra ‘Sandy’ Louise Carlson Martin, age 78, of Dalton, Georgia, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, surrounded by her loving family, at Quinton Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Sandy was born on Monday, April 1, 1946, in Denver, Colorado, to the late Mr. William and Mrs. Elizabeth Allen Carlson.

Sandy grew up all throughout the United States, as her family moved from state to state with her father’s job with General Motors.  By the time she graduated high school, Sandy had attended thirteen different schools.  She had a natural ability to make friends any and everywhere that she went, which lent itself well to the fact that she was always starting each school year in a new school.  This trait served her well throughout the rest of her life, as she carried on a generosity and a love for people that was second to none.  Even still, having lived all over the United States, Dalton was her home and her favorite place, where she and her husband eventually settled in 1972, and where she remained for the rest of her life.

Her love for the Dalton community was evident throughout her extensive involvement within the community itself.  In addition to serving as the Assistant Director of the Creative Arts Guild for four years, she, along with her husband and others, co-founded the Artistic Civic Theatre in Dalton in 1992.  While many people knew her as one of the co-founders of the A.C.T., even more people knew her as the ‘Chocolate Chip Cookie Lady,’ who lovingly sold and served homemade chocolate chip cookies during the intermissions of shows and performances put on at the theatre.  As well, she was also lovingly known throughout town for taking reservations for A.C.T. shows and performances anywhere and everywhere she went – from Kroger, to the pharmacy, to church, to restaurants, and beyond.  She took pride in everyone being able to take part in the work that the A.C.T. does, and as such, she never wanted anyone to miss out on anything the Theatre did, even if it meant taking a reservation somewhere other than the Theatre itself.  Both her and her husband’s dedication to the A.C.T. were honored by the naming of the theatre as ‘The Martin Theatre at the A.C.T. Playhouse’ in 2020.

Sandy was also an active member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, where she sang in the choir for thirty-five years.  Those who knew and loved Sandy would say that she was, undoubtedly, one of the most well organized, most detail-oriented people one could ever hope to meet or have in their life.

Her greatest love of all, even more so than her community or the arts or her church, was her family, especially her four grandchildren, to whom she was lovingly known as ‘Mimi.’  She was passionate about her grandchildren, and she loved them to an immeasurable fault.  To quote her son-in-law, Wes: ‘She spoiled the hell outta them.’

Sandy is preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Carlson.

Sandy is survived by her loving husband, Mr. Richard ‘Rick’ Martin, whom she met while studying at Perdue University, and to whom she was married for fifty-nine years.

She is also survived by her two daughters, Jennifer (Wes) Phinney and Heather (Billy) Burton, as well as her four grandchildren, Emeline Phinney, Margaret Phinney, Katherine (Bryce) Southerland, and Sydney Holloway.  She is also survived by her brother, William (Pamela) Carlson, as well as her brother-in-law Jerry Martin, and her sister-in-law Diane Frey.

A Memorial Service to honor and celebrate the life of Mrs. Sandy Martin will be held on Tuesday, September 17, at 2:00 P.M. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Dalton, Georgia, with Fr. Rick Tiff celebrating the service, and with eulogies being delivered by Sandy’s grandchildren.  Sandy’s family will receive friends for visitation in the Parrish Hall of the church beginning at 12:00 noon until the service hour.

In lieu of flowers, Sandy’s family humbly asks that donations be made in her memory to either St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (901 W Emery St, Dalton GA 30720) or to the Artistic Civic Theatre (907 Gaston St, Dalton GA 30720).