Martha Sulzby (Clark) Hunnewell, age 77, died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 in Newport, Rhode Island. Martha was born in Birmingham March 19, 1944 and is survived by her daughters, Alicia (“Lilie”) Clark Van Arsdall (Michael) of Washington, DC and Melissa Clark Slaughter (Hanson) of Birmingham, Alabama, four grandchildren who affectionately referred to her as “Danny,” Elizabeth Van Arsdall, John Slaughter, William Van Arsdall, and Virginia Slaughter, her brother, James F. Sulzby, III (Robin) and niece, Jean Sulzby Jones (Drew), and their three children, Mae, Stuart, and Christopher. She is also survived by her stepdaughter Sarah Hunnewell (Jimmy), stepson John Hunnewell (Susie), and step grandchildren Priscilla and Mark.
Martha was predeceased by her husband, Richard F. Hunnewell, her father, James F. Sulzby, Jr., her mother, Martha Belle (Hilton) Sulzby, her nephew, James F. Sulzby, IV, and her former husband, Robert J. B. Clark.
Martha was graduate of the Brooke Hill School in Birmingham and Mount Vernon College in Washington, DC. Martha’s chic sense of style and spirited personality captivated all who knew her. Her sense of adventure took her around the world numerous times and she was likewise at home in many places, maintaining residences in Birmingham, Newport, and New York for many years. Martha was a master croquet player, as well as an accomplished decorator and jewelry designer. She had a discerning eye for elegance, and enjoyed coupling beauty with whimsy. Still, her passion was people. She was at her best cooking and entertaining a crowd, and had a memorable flair for making things beautiful, delicious, and fun.
Martha was a member of the Spouting Rock Beach Association, Clambake Club, Newport Croquet Club, and Trinity Church in Newport, as well as the Mountain Brook Club, and the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham.
A memorial service for Martha will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 19 at Trinity Church in Newport, with a graveside service at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, AL on Monday, February 21 at 11:00 am.
Memorials may be made to the Newport Hospital Foundation, 11 Friendship Street, Newport, RI 02840, www.lifespan.org/NH-giving or to a charity of your choosing.
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