Obit: Martine, Hannah Ellen (1986 – 2020)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Martine, Rawson, Eminger, Wilson, Komen

----Source: Tribune/Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., Wis.) 11 Mar 2020

Martine, Hannah Ellen (17 JUN 1986 – 25 FEB 2020)

Hannah Ellen Martine, 33, of North Park, San Diego, retired her valiant five-year battle with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer on Feb. 25, 2020.

Born June 17, 1986, in Marshfield, Hannah grew up with a loving family that included parents, Kenneth and Sally (Rawson), and sister Elizabeth.

Raised to be fiercely independent, Hannah developed a love for learning, life and adventure at an early age. She always preferred reading and crossword puzzles to television, and pursued higher education with the same enthusiasm she brought to all she did. Hannah earned her bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and her master’s in communication management from the University of Southern California (USC).

She even found time during her college days to study abroad in Alicante, Spain. It was here that her love of adventure truly flourished. Hannah’s free spirit saw her strike out on many solo journeys, including trips to South America, as well as countless adventures with friends. One of her more cherished trips was to Thailand in 2019, when she and Elizabeth got to hug and interact with elephants. Back in the states, she could often be found running, hiking, paddle boarding, biking or spending time at the family cottage in Shell Lake, with her dog of 11 years, Fiona.

Always on the move and ready for the next chapter, Hannah settled in Minneapolis after college, but eventually found herself up for a new adventure in San Diego. She instantly loved the warm weather and sunny disposition of the city, where she remained for the past nine years.

Her time in San Diego was as busy as it was glorious. Hannah loved her work as senior publicist at H2 Public Relations, a role that allowed her to enthusiastically promote her passion for restaurants, hotels and the San Diego lifestyle. A self-described “people collector,” Hannah could often be found making new friends, introducing friends who didn’t know one another or reconnecting with old friends at one of San Diego’s many breweries, wine bars or craft cocktail spots.

Knowing that connection was her currency, Hannah selflessly gave her time to many organizations. She served as the president of the American Marketing Association’s (AMA) San Diego chapter, held board positions with the local Mizzou and USC alumni clubs and volunteered as a career coach for foster youth with Just in Time.

Some of her most meaningful work was done with the Susan G. Komen foundation. Hannah’s network of close friends and supporters grew exponentially as she threw herself into research, support groups and advocacy work after her Stage IV metastatic breast cancer diagnosis in 2015. Never one to focus on the negative, Hannah turned her chemo sessions into social events. She rebranded these appointments as “Coffee & Chemo,” and viewed them as an opportunity to catch up with friends and family one on one.

She also developed a tight network of fellow breast cancer survivors – or “breasties,” as they were known – and was named Komen’s Race for the Cure honorary survivor in 2016. Hannah used this platform to let young cancer survivors know they weren’t alone and to educate the rest of the world on the importance of metastatic research.

Hannah is survived by her parents, sister, dog, aunts, uncles, cousins and an extremely large network of friends all over the world who were considered family.

She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, William and Helen (Eminger) Rawson of Woodstock, Ill.; and her paternal grandparents, William and Doris (Wilson) Martine of Lenoir, N.C. (formerly of Woodstock).

Hannah’s bright eyes, boundless energy and enigmatic personality will be cherished and missed by all. In lieu of flowers, Hannah’s family asks that you make donations to Susan G. Komen San Diego, or to METAvivor, a Stage IV metastatic breast cancer research, support and awareness organization.

There will be a celebration of life for Hannah starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, at the Meadowview Golf Course in Owen.