Marta C. Findlay Partridge 

July 8, 1943 - February 18, 2025

Marta Partridge passed away peacefully at WakeMed Cary Hospital on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. She was surrounded by her son Miles, her daughter-in-law Karen, and a lifelong friend. 

Marta was best known for her unwavering dedication to the arts. Upon graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music, she began her professional career as a violinist with the Indianapolis Symphony. Shortly after moving to North Carolina in 1976, Marta began her nearly 30-year tenure as a Wake County Public School Orchestra Director for elementary, middle, and high schools. In 2002, she was among the first group of music educators to earn certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. She had an active home teaching studio and in 1983, started teaching violin lessons at Meredith College. From 1985-2007, she was a violinist for the North Carolina Theatre. Seeing a need in the community, she helped develop the Philharmonic Association’s first full orchestra, the Triangle Youth Philharmonic in 1988, and became a founding conductor of the Triangle Youth Symphony in 1995. An independent community string youth orchestra Marta had founded earlier, the Raleigh-Triangle String Orchestra, was amalgamated into the Philharmonic Association’s new full orchestra, Triangle Youth Orchestra in 2000. When the Philharmonic Association decided to add an additional string orchestra in 2016, they turned to Marta to establish the Triangle Youth String Sinfonia. Wherever there was an orchestra to be established, nurtured, rescued or resuscitated, Marta was there at the forefront. She continued to be a persuasive advocate for arts education. In 2003, her educational essay, “The Unplanned Lesson”, was published in the book “Powerful Classroom Stories from Accomplished Teachers”. In 2004, she was the recipient of the Maxine Swalin Outstanding Music Educator Award, given by the North Carolina Symphony for “making a lasting difference in the lives of students through music”. In 2010, she was appointed as Music Director of the Achushnet Classic Ensemble Summer Music Festival in Massachusetts. That same year, she founded the Triangle Area Community Orchestra, known now as the Triangle String Orchestra, a community orchestra of amateur string musicians that meet and perform at Meredith College. In 2014, she received the City’s highest arts honor, the Raleigh Medal of Arts, Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award. The Raleigh Medal of Arts is awarded for transformative, imaginative, and innovative achievement in the practice or support of the local arts. While Marta was truly honored by these distinguished awards, she didn’t dedicate her life to music education for the recognition, but rather for the love of the arts. She believed that when all else fails, music is what can heal and bring people together. Upon her retirement, she still felt the need to help her community and volunteered as a Guardian Ad Litem working as a child’s advocate in the court system. Marta was an inspiration, a mentor, and safe place to many. 

Marta cared deeply about her family, her community, her students, and her friends. She used her creativity to make her students and friends hand-made Christmas ornaments. Marta loved to cook and frequently enjoyed indulging in something sweet. She loved to share her creations by making delicious treats for her students and colleagues and trying out new vegetarian recipes for her son. She treasured being a “boy mom” and would participate in many activities with them. She was devoted to raising her children, oftentimes making handmade clothes and Halloween costumes. She embodied the meaning of “true love of a mother”. As Marta’s dementia progressed, her son Miles had the honor of being her caretaker. She spent her time being silly with her son, loving on her cat, going on walks, and enjoying delicious food. She lived out her days happy and full of joy. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. 

Marta C. Findlay Partridge is preceded in death by her parents Francis M. Findlay and Marta AMJ Von Strache, her sister Dorothea Gorman, and her former husband Hugh Partridge. She is survived by her sons E. Miles Partridge (Karen) of Apex and F. Merritt Partridge (Jennifer) of Garner, and her grandson Jackson Merritt Partridge of Garner.

A celebration of her life will be held in the Carswell Recital Hall at Meredith College at 6pm on Friday, May 2, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in memory of Marta to the Triangle String Orchestra. 

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