Martha Bowman O'Brien, also known as Bo, 71, of Londonderry, NH, passed away Friday, July 7, 2023 at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, NH. She was born August 2, 1951 in Boston, MA, a daughter of the late Jennie (Gross) O'Brien and the late John Augustus (Gus) O'Brien. She had been a resident of Londonderry for the past year, formerly living in Derry and Kentucky.
Martha was a graduate of Reading Memorial High School in Massachusetts and Longwood College in Virginia where she studied fine art. She was a proud veteran of the US Army, where she served in Germany and at Vint Hill Farms Station in Virginia. In the 1980's, she was employed as the art director for The Washington Blade newspaper in Washington, DC. Martha was a founding member of the Spiral Wimmin's Land Trust in Kentucky, where she resided until its dissolution in 2016. She was also a Reiki Master who dedicated her later years to caring for others.
Martha is survived by her two brothers, Peter O'Brien and his wife Katherine Prudhomme O'Brien of Derry, who called Martha her best friend ever, and their children Bjarna and August and brother James O'Brien of Glenburn, Maine and his children; Sean (Kierstin) and Cristin (Girish) as well as great nieces and nephews Robert, Gisele, Amelia, Esther and Aditya. Martha was predeceased by her sister-in-law, Valerie, and her great nephew, Jai. Martha was an unforgettable person who left a mark on all who knew her, she had many friends far and wide who will miss her deeply, most recently, the friends she made at the Manchester Veterans Administration Hospital.
Following cremation, the family will hold a small graveside Irish wake, per her wishes, at a later date to be determined. The Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium is assisting the family with arrangements.