***Service Change*** 

**Due to the impending storm, the visitation scheduled for Monday, Feb. 23 from 4-7pm has been canceled.  Her Funeral Service scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24 at Faith Evangelical Church, Melrose, at 9am, will proceed as planned.**

Martha C. (Davies) Gleason, a longtime resident of Medford, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, February 15, 2026. She was ninety years old.

Born in Lebanon, New Hampshire, Martha was the daughter of the late George E. Davies and Alice C. (Bundy) Davies. She was raised in West Lebanon and graduated as Salutatorian of the class of 1953, earning induction into the National Honor Society. She went on to graduate from the Mary Fletcher Hospital School of Nursing in Burlington, Vermont in 1956, where she was awarded the Platka Cup for outstanding ability in nursing.

Martha began her career at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Hanover, New Hampshire, and later returned to Mary Fletcher Hospital, serving as head nurse in Obstetrics until 1963. That same year, she met Ray E. Gleason through mutual friends, and they married on October 3, 1964 in Hanover, New Hampshire. They soon settled in Massachusetts, first in West Medford and later in Medford, where they together raised their four children: Brian, Jennifer, Loralee, and Scott. Martha and Ray's legacy was rooted in a deep sense of belonging with one another and a commitment to their faith and family.

A child of the Great Depression and World War II era, and a proud New Englander, Martha was resourceful, practical, and thoughtful in all things. She often shared fond memories of visiting the Bundy farm as a child in Bethel, VT. She wasted nothing, she never gave up, and she approached life with steadfast and determined care for her family. She created a caring and supportive home where everyone felt valued. She made sure life’s moments were captured in photographs, preserving memories for the family to cherish.

Side by side, Martha and Ray built a home filled with faith, warmth, steadiness, and creativity. Martha's talents found expression in sewing, quilting, and painting thoughtful gifts for her family. Together, she and Ray crafted wooden step stools for each child and grandchild, which remain cherished family keepsakes. They also operated Gleason's Garret, a hobby craft business, and often attended craft fairs together.

In simple moments, Martha and Ray found joy in time spent with one another gardening, doing craftwork, going on drives for ice cream, or simply sitting in the dining room in their respective chairs, reading. Their marriage and lives were a testimony to their commitment to one another and to God that fostered a steady foundation upon which their family grew and were nurtured.

Martha's heart was truly devoted to those she loved, and her legacy lives on in the family she and Ray so lovingly built together. May God be glorified.

Martha was the beloved wife of the late Ray E. Gleason, with whom she shared fifty-three years of marriage. Devoted mother of Brian Gleason and his wife Elayne of Gadsden, AL, Jennifer Szafir and her husband Steven of Medford, Loralee Davis and her husband CDR Cledo "Clay" Davis USN (Ret.) of New Hope, AL, and Scott Gleason and his wife Amie of Townsend, MA.

Dear sister of Mary Ella (Davies) Morgan (predeceased), sister-in-law of William A. Morgan III (predeceased), dear sister of Charlotte E. Davies, and the treasured aunt of Mary Carolyn Morgan of Stamford, CT.

Cherished grandmother of Destiny, Jestina, Cody, Kyle, Zachary, Johnathan and his wife Samantha, Emma, Hannah, Cledo II and his wife Ann, Rebecca, Benjamin, Joshua and his wife Kaelyn, Sarah Grace, Elijah, Brody, and Jaxon.

Loving great-grandmother of Charlee, Malakhi, Samuel (preceding her in death), and Cabrin. She eagerly anticipated the birth of another new great-grandchild arriving in April 2026.

Martha looked forward to being reunited with many dear ones who had gone before her to heaven. 

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to gather in honor of Martha's life for her funeral service at Faith Evangelical Church, 200 Franklin St., Melrose on Tuesday, February 24 at 9 a.m. Gifts in her memory may be made to Faith Evangelical Church, 200 Franklin St., Melrose MA 02176 or to Church of the Good Shepherd, 360 Conklin Ave., Binghamton NY 13903.