February 23, 1945 - July 4, 2018 Martha W. Hammer (Marti) was born on February 23, 1945 in Afton, New York to G. Harvey Wehmeier and Margaret Grant Wehmeier, and raised from childhood in Lafayette, CA. She passed away on the 4th of July at age 73 in Los Angeles following a 2½ year determined fight against cancer. She graduated from Acalanes High School in Lafayette, and Scripps College. After receiving an MA from UCLA in Medieval Islamic Studies she entered Loyola Law School, passed the California Bar, and joined the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She later headed the Labor and Employment practice of the Los Angeles office of Skaden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. She was a frequent lecturer and writer on issues of employment law, negotiation, women in the workforce, higher education, and corporate philanthropy. Martha had a strong commitment to higher education. She was a Life Trustee and former Chairman of Board of Scripps College, and a board member of The Thacher School. After retiring from her law partnership, Martha became the President and CEO of the Independent Colleges of Southern California. In recent years she had devoted herself to scholarship on women artists of the Mexican muralist movement, publishing the definitive work on the paintings in the Museo Nacional de Antropologia in Mexico City. She was a member of the Paintings Conservation Council of the J Paul Getty Museum. She was also a devoted member of the Trusteeship (International Women's Forum), and with her husband enjoyed more than 30 years of involvement in the California Club and the Los Angeles Country Club. She loved travel, especially to Mexico where she and her husband had a vacation home on the Nayarit coast which was a magnet for their family. She adored her family, and they her. She leaves behind her husband, Steven H Hammer. The two met while Steve was a sophomore at Pomona College, and Martha was looking at Scripps College as a high school senior. They fell immediately in love, forever, and rarely spent a day apart in their over 50 years of marriage. She also leaves their three adult children, Kirsten Hammer Dueck (Colin), Braden H Hammer (Renee), and Michael L Hammer (Lisette Marie), a grandson John B. Dueck, and many more loving family members and longtime friends. As a professional and in her private life, Martha was known for her sense of justice and fair play. She never waited to see which way the political wind was blowing to decide what was right. If she believed in a thing or a person, she was the first to step forward, the first to speak up for them. She had a keen analytical mind and valued independent thought. Martha was an inspiration to those who knew and loved her. She faced each challenge and decision head on and without melodrama. She died as she lived, with courage and determination and ready for what lay beyond. Plans for a private celebration of life are pending. Donations in Martha's name may be made to USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USCNorrisCancer.usc.edu/support) and to Scripps College (ScrippsCollege.edu/giving). Published by Los Angeles Times on Jul. 10, 2018.