Martha “Marty” Carolyn Callicoat Lindley

11/22/48- 2/21/16

TOUCH - To put and hand or finger on, to be in contact with, to change or move someone or something.

Sometimes we take what we can feel for granted. Your “touch” can feel a single human hair between your fingers. Your “touch” can sense if someone has a temperature. Your “touch” can feel a heart beating deep inside someone. Your “touch” can make your heart race.

You can swing an arm over and “touch” your spouse in bed and sense if he or she is sleeping well.

Touch can be disrupted by drugs, surgery, death, to name a few. These few Marty and I have felt. Together.

Marty spent part of the past 11 years in an argument with the silent killer, never with God. She refused to accept she could lose. Her denial coupled the doctors and medical advances and a very special someone kept her here in the land of the living, of which she prayed for every day, longer than had she been without all of it. Her best and most reliable asset, that special someone, was Jesus. She never doubted his unfailing grace and mercy on her or anyone else. She was sure of this until she left us Feb. 21^st.

During her time here, she endured multiple surgeries, chemotherapies and radiation treatments, all of which left physical scars. Scars destroy your sense of feeling. Drugs make you unperceptive, but not insensitive. Chemotherapies make your body into something unnatural. In Marty’s case, she itched and burned. Touching her in certain places made her itch and hurt more. Add all this up and she was being denied her sense of “touch”, in a way. However, she never lost her spiritual “touch”. Those who knew her are all grateful for this.

I was denied “touch”. She could recall how “touch” feels in certain places, but the feeling had been removed, erased. I could feel scar tissue and knew she couldn’t feel me as before. I heard her last breath, held her hand and touched her as her heart stopped. Her journeys began and ended. I can remember the ”touch” on her neck to feel her heartbeat stop. Her heart was there but she had already left us. In days before, she would grip my hand in response to my touch. She could not feel my last “touch”.

Can you learn something here? Let me help you out, get out there and touch before you can’t anymore. Marty would want you to do this.

Sincerely, Jeff Lindley

February 29, 2016

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MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MARTY

Marty’s service and celebration will occur April 1, 2016 at 10:00 AM at:

Memorial Service at Oakwood Baptist Church

2154 Loop 337 N
New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Phone (830) 625-0267

Noon celebration “Marty Party” at

Seekatz Opera House in downtown New Braunfels

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Martha “Marty” Carolyn Callicoat Lindley

Martha “Marty” Carolyn Callicoat Lindley   11/22/48- 2/21/16 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path. -- Proverbs 3:5-6

Marty would like to let you know that her work here is done. Her new “life’s work” takes her to a wonderful place where she will be socializing, dining, dancing, gardening, and watching over all of us to ensure we are all surrounded by music, laughter and love. She left detailed instructions for her husband Jeff and their daughter, Jessica to celebrate her mission on this earth, which has now been completed, and will be thoroughly celebrated with a “Marty Party” in March. Marty did an awesome job and we will remember her smile, her hugs, her “force of God” energy, and her love for life, family and friends, and also her beagles. She worked very hard all her life and her aggressive, pro-active combat with cancer ended with a deep, calming sigh and stillness. She now goes to her eternal home with our Lord, physically complete and free of pain. She died as graceful as she lived. She made a profound difference in the lives of many.

Marty left this list of To-Do’s for all of us.

“I have walked with Jesus through my yesterdays and today. Now I will walk with Him in my eternal tomorrows.”

Life is too brief…
Wear your diamond earrings to the grocery store.
Wear the colors you are comfortable wearing... even if it is only three or four.
Enjoy the best wine from your favorite wine glass and never save champagne.
Drink beer from a wine glass.
Eat bread when you want to.
Eat only what feels good in your mouth and tastes good to you.
Always drink the best coffee from your favorite coffee cups.
Have short breakfast meetings; two-hour-talking lunches; and long, elegant dinners with friends.
Turn on the little joy lamps in the morning and turn them off at night, but always leave one little joy on.
Never look for, or expect appreciation, encouragement, justice or forgiveness.
Just do, with personal excellence, all that God gives you the opportunity to do.
Let Him set-up your journey, then follow His direction
Always give appreciation, encouragement, justice and forgiveness.
Always hug dogs and most people.

Marty sincerely wishes to be in the hearts with all of you- Please help us perpetuate her memory with donations to The Marty Lindley Foundation, benefitting the New Braunfels Volunteers In Medicine Clinic, the Adult Sarcoma Research Center at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the New Braunfels Kids Club. The foundation may also seek to inform sarcoma patients of the importance of receiving medical treatment at a cancer center specializing in sarcoma cancer and early detection. Additionally, the foundation may contribute to other non-profit organizations with a focus on health and wellness and the betterment of life for women and children.

To honor God, the Marty Lindley Foundation encourages the support of the New Braunfels area medical community, the research to develop a cure for leiomyosarcoma cancer, and the women and children of Comal County.

Tax deductible gifts can be made through www.martylindleyfoundation.org or mail to PO Box 310645, New Braunfels, TX 78130. The MLF is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation.

Condolences to:

Jeff Lindley, Class of '66
827 Schumann's Beach Road
New Braunfels, TX 78130
jlindley@satx.rr.com

Marty Lindley remembered for toughness, faith

Foundation’s namesake died Sunday at age 67

1 image Laura McKenzie

By Molly Block | The Herald-Zeitung | Updated 2 days ago

Marty Lindley, New Braunfels resident and president of the Marty Lindley Foundation, passed away at 2:45 a.m. on Feb. 21 in the comfort of her home, surrounded by the ones who loved her the most.

Lindley was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and survived a double mastectomy, multiple surgeries and six months of chemotherapy.

Three years later, her doctors told her she had uterine leiomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer. The cancer reappeared in 2010, and she battled through more cycles of chemotherapy, surgeries and radiation.

Against all odds, Lindley survived well beyond the five years her doctors predicted she would live. Time enough to help build the Marty Lindley Foundation.

The foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization established on Sept. 1, 2013 by Marty’s husband, Jeff Lindley, their daughter Jessica and some close friends.

The local foundation primarily supports the New Braunfels Volunteers in Medicine Clinic, the Adult Sarcoma Research Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the New Braunfels Kids Club. Additionally, the foundation may contribute to other nonprofit organizations with a focus on health and wellness and the betterment of life for women and children.

In the two years since its inception, the foundation has donated more than $200,000 to the organizations — a fact that Lindley was immensely proud of.

Wayne Vrba, director for the Marty Lindley Foundation, believes Lindley’s death is a significant loss to the community of New Braunfels.

“This is something I’d been dreading for years,” Vrba said. “If there’s anyone who has fought the good fight, it’s Marty. She was so tough, and her faith in God carried her a long way. Today is surreal, especially for her family. Everyone was always so taken by her, and I’ve just been thinking, ‘What is it about Marty?’ So many people respected her, and she was one of the only people I’ve ever met that made me want to be a better person — just by her example.”

Vrba said that Lindley had been sick for a long time, and was at peace with the fact that she probably didn’t have much time left on this earth.

Her unwavering faith in God, Vrba believes, is what allowed her this peace.

“She was so sick,” Vrba said. “Her kidneys weren’t working, and she had pneumonia. She knew it wasn’t going to be much longer. I truly believe the reason why she lived this long was because she lived with a peace and trust in her heart. For people who pay attention, it’s interesting to see how far faith can carry you. When you don’t have any tangible reason to feel optimistic, but you keep going anyway — there has to be a source of strength coming from somewhere. The Lord said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’”