Martin Falxa

Funeral services for Martin Falxa 84-year-old Newton, Massachusetts and Buffalo, Wyoming resident who passed away September 26^th in Newton, will be held Saturday, October 14^th at 10:00 a.m. at the Harness Funeral Home Chapel in Buffalo with Reverend Dr. Robert Miller officiating. Interment will be in Willow Grove Cemetery in Buffalo with graveside services to immediately follow the funeral. Donations in Martin’s memory may be made to the Martin and Betty Falxa Scholarship Foundation at P.O. Box 1157 in Buffalo, Wyoming.  Online condolences may be made at www.harnessfuneralhome.com.

Martin Louis Falxa was born on August 4, 1939, in Buffalo, to Louis and Laurene Falxa. He grew up and went to school in Buffalo and graduated with the class of 1957. He was an honor student who held several class offices and lettered all four years in football.  After high school, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1961 and a Master’s in Chemical Engineering in 1962. Following graduation from MIT, Martin was accepted to the Ph.D. program at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in New York.  He did his Post-Doc Fellowship research at Harvard Medical School working at the Laboratory of Chemical Pathology.  Martin later became a Senior Scientist at Polaroid Corporation working on the development of instant film.  He was married to Madelon Maremont in Winnetka, Illinois in 1965.  Martin and Madelon had three sons: Lucas, Justin, and Austin. They were later divorced, and Martin married Betty Andersen in Newton, Massachusetts in 1984 and they made their home in Newton. It was in that year that Martin went back to graduate school at Bentley University and earned a Master’s Degree in Information Technology.  Martin took early retirement from Polaroid and he and Betty joined together to begin a joint venture called Jefferson Systems Development Inc. building turn-key computer systems for small and medium-sized businesses which they owned and operated from 1985 until 1996. From 1998-2001 Martin taught courses on Production Management and Inventory Control in the North Shore Community College Management Certification program.  Martin later developed multiple, complex health issues and was forced to completely retire.  He continued living in Newton with Betty. His home health aides Sarah Francis and Marie Keating gave him eleven years of compassionate, loving care until his death.

Martin had limitless love for his family. He was a loving and generous father, a faithful friend and a wonderful husband to his wife of 39 years, Betty Andersen Falxa. Together they led alpine flower tours of the major mountain ranges throughout the Rockies, photographing and cataloging the floral tapestries of intense colors in these beautiful landscapes.

Martin was a proud Eagle Scout, a counselor at Boy Scout Camp Ela Ca Wee. He was Chief of the Order of the Arrow for Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. He enjoyed being a fancy dancer at their celebrations. He was a role model of fair play and a wise counsel to many Scouts as a Scout Master for 10 years for Newton Boy Scout Troop 205. He was so proud of both of his sons, Justin and Austin, who also achieved the Eagle Award. They created many memories of mountain hikes, orienteering competitions, and camping outdoors as well as international travel as a family.

Martin’s generosity of spirit and service to others continued as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at Central Congregational Church in Newton before moving back to Wyoming. In retirement, he founded The Martin and Betty Falxa Scholarship Foundation awarding scholarships to students in the three high schools in Johnson County, Wyoming. He wished to thank his community for awarding him the four-year Thom Scholarship which allowed him to study chemical engineering in Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife Betty Falxa of Newton, Mass; three sons, Lucas Martin Falxa of Cambridge, Mass, Justin Sauveur Falxa and his wife Patricia of Doral, Florida and Austin Xavier Falxa and his wife Eun-Young of Medford, Mass; two brothers, Dick Falxa and his husband Randy King of Sisters, Oregon and Larry Falxa and his husband Ted Plute of Santa Barbara, California; two nieces Kitri Falxa her daughter, Michael and Tiffany Ward and her husband Mark and son Bridger;  He was preceded in death by his parents.