Marta Petoe

Marta Petoe

Birthday into the World - FEBRUARY 28, 1939     

 Birthday into Eternity - MAY 28, 2015

Marta Petoe, a distinguished social worker in Denver for 40 years and ardent advocate for the historic Four-Mile Historic Park in south Denver, died on May 28 in Denver. She was 76.

Her nephew, Mark Alexander, and close friend, Celestine McMahan-Woneis, said she died of ovarian cancer.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, June 14, 4-6 p.m. in Marta’s beloved Four-Mile Historic Park at 715 S. Forest Street, Denver, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to continue Marta’s work with Four-Mile Park (note Marta's memorial on any donations ). Her ashes will be scattered in San Francisco Bay to join those of her beloved late husband, Robert Berglund.

Graduating with a double major in 1966 from Marylhurst College in Portland, Oregon, Marta moved to Denver, spending her last $150 on a bus ticket to get there. She launched her long career and deep involvement with people’s lives in Denver in her first social work position at the Denver Children’s Home. Over the course of her 40-year career, she worked in many pioneering programs from the prison to child protection to unemployment reentry.  When Marta retired, Mayor Hickenlooper declared November 16th as Marta Petoe Day.

Her social work career even brought her the love of her life, Robert Berglund.  Marta attended a social work conference in San Francisco where she met Robert.  They were married in the chapel in Pine, Colorado in February, 1979.  After travelling across the United States, they returned to San Francisco where they met.  Marta was never so happy in her life as she was with Robert.  They had such a strong bond and a common understanding about the world.  Sadly, Robert died at a young age, leaving Marta widowed.

In addition to bringing love to many, Marta's life held strong contrasts, from extreme hunger and pain to richness of every sort of life.  She was born in Budapest, Hungary on February 28, 1939, joining parents Josef and Louise and older brother George.

Her family lived in an orchard until World War II, but then left Hungary early in the war to escape annihilation.  The journey was treaherous, dodging bullets, jumping trains, and ending up in a monastery that was nearly bombed by U.S. soldiers. Before she was ten years old, Marta had already experienced hunger, stress and many miracles.  

The family arrived at Ellis Island after the war.  The time in New York was a struggle before her parents learned English.  The only way to support the family was to earn a living with menial tasks and housekeeping.

The family next travelled to Indiana to join Hungarian friends.  Marta graduated from high school in Bloomington where her father worked as an engineer at Indiana University.  Marta's mother graduated, through a series of events, as assistant to two Nobel laureate scientists.  

After high school Marta worked in the computer industry to help finance her brother George's medical school education.  He became a world famous pathologist.  Marta then attended college in Oregon and built her life in Denver as already described.  

Marta was a saint as she lived.  All who associated with her felt the presence of love and compassion.  She created great joy in many people's lives, and her legacy will continue with a vision of freedom for all.  She lived her life creatively, marching to her own drum.  May we all honor our differences with nonviolent communication, remembering the good of the whole in the spirit of co-creating a peaceful world.