Daily Sitka Sentinel

Rebecca Irene (Tunnell) Martin

A celebration of life for Rebecca Irene (Tunnell) Martin, 63, is planned for 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at Sitka Lutheran Church. All are invited to attend, and to take a dish to share if they wish.
Becky passed away March 20 at Sitka Community Hospital following a battle with cancer.
She was born March 1, 1950, in Chickasha, Okla., to Betty (Price) and Bill Tunnell. The family moved to Fresno, Calif., where she graduated from Hoover High School. She was involved in the Order of the Rainbow for Girls and served as a Worthy Advisor. She earned her teaching degree and studied interior design at Fresno State University.
Becky met Greg Martin at a dance at the Rainbow Ballroom in Fresno, and it was love at first sight. They were married Jan. 27, 1973. They moved to Oakland and back to Fresno where son Ryan was born in 1975. In 1981 the family moved to Stanwood, Wash., and daughter Brynne was born in 1986.
The family moved to Sitka in 1988 where Greg was fishing commercially on the F/V White Light.
Becky was an artist and clay ornament designer. She made ornaments and art pieces at first with salt (bakers clay) dough  – including aboard the boat while fishing with the family –  and then with polymer clay. She owned and operated Windsong Designs for many years. Her small, whimsical art pieces can be found in homes and on holiday trees worldwide.
When not creating art pieces, Becky could be found baking, cooking, crafting, crocheting, arranging flowers, reading books, traveling to warm places, walking in the park with her husband, or spending time with her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed Sitka Summer Music Festival concerts and the outdoors
She was a member of the Sitka Lutheran Church, where she was in the Altar Guild.
Becky had a strong work ethic and held full-time jobs while still creating and selling her art pieces at shows and on the Internet.
She was program manager of the Employment Services Program at Center for Community for the past five years. She was also head toddler teacher at Sheldon Jackson Child Care Center for several years, had an art studio in Sitka, was a substitute teacher, and an interior designer for JC Penney in Oakland.
‘‘Becky was a great loving wife, mom, gramma, sister, aunt and best friend to Greg for over 40 years. She will be greatly missed every minute of every day,’’ the family said.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Betty Tunnell.
She is survived by her husband Greg Martin of Sitka; father Bill Tunnell of Fresno; daughter Brynne Martin and Dave Christensen of Henderson, Nevada; son Ryan Martin, his wife Molly Kimzey and sons Sage and Torin of Port Alexander; sister Alice (Randy) Tunnell, Kelowna, British  Columbia; sister Pat (Brian) Thompson, Fresno; nieces and nephews Jonathon Tunnell, Brandon, Brett and Mandy Thompson and their families; mother-in-law Phyllis James of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; and many friends.
Correspondence to the family may be sent in care of Greg Martin, 201 Vitskari, Sitka.
A benefit dinner and auction is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at the Sitka Elks Lodge.