Roberta Perkins Martin

FLORENCE Ruth Roberta Perkins Martin, 84, died Wednesday, July 2, 2014, after an illness.

Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, July 7, 2014, in Waters-Powell Funeral Home Chapel. Entombment will follow in Mount Hope Mausoleum. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Sunday, at the funeral home.

She was born in Laurinburg, NC, a daughter of the late John Wesley and Lela Chavis Perkins. Mrs. Martin was the widow of Charles Albert Martin.

Mrs. Martin was an LPN and began her career at Scotland County Memorial Hospital. She also worked at McLeod Hospital in Florence, including the Heart Reach program. She most enjoyed her duties as a private duty LPN.

She was very active and enjoyed aerobics. She led aerobics classes at the Leatherman Senior Center, Poynor Adult Education Center, and also from time to time at Pee Dee Gardens and The Carolinian, when she was a resident. She competed in race walking at the Senior Olympics at Francis Marion University, and at one time represented South Carolina at the national level in Rochester, NY, and Louisiana. She was an active member of the Fitness Forum for over 25 years.

Mrs. Martin was a member of First Baptist Church in Florence. She was also a member of the Civitan Club, having been one of the first female members of the organization. She also volunteered at the Manna House serving meals.

She had a love of music and played piano by ear until she learned to read music later in her adulthood. She would often be found playing and singing with a group of the residents at Pee Dee Gardens and The Carolinian.

Survivors include three daughters, Karen (Donald) Phillips of Elizabethtown, KY, Susan (Ron) Anderson of Darlington, SC, and Carolyn (Charly) Kerr of Raleigh, NC; two sons, Charles (Marla) Martin of San Diego, CA, and David Martin of Wilmington, NC; three sisters, Elizabeth Butz of Tampa, FL, Jeanette Bass of Wilmington, NC, and Virginia (Earl) Chastain of Lithia Springs, GA; 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; cousins, and many nieces and nephews; and her very special dog, Buddy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Manna House, P. O. Box 13541, Florence, SC 29504; or to the charity of ones choice.

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