Facing the Twisp River in the peaceful mid-morning, Marsha “Marty” Jean Gaul (Marsha Jean Huston; Marsha Jean VanPuymbrouck) slipped comfortably from this world to the next, surrounded by her loving family, on June 15, 2021. Finished with the battle of cancer, Marty hated to leave behind her family but was ready to journey into the next world.
Marty came into this world on April 4, 1945, in the bustling city of Chicago, Illinois. The youngest of three kids, Marty quickly became the “peach” of her parents’ eyes and earned the nickname that stuck with her for the rest of her life — Peach. She was called Peach by her parents, friends, her nieces and nephews, her children, and her grandchildren. Grandma Peach. Aunt Peach. Simply a Peach!
She lived in Chicago with her family until she was about 5 years old. At that point they moved to Florida, then on to Reno, Nevada, and finally, Palo Alto, California. Marty graduated from Los Altos High School in 1963. Marty was a devoted student with a passion for learning. She completed her freshman college year at Foothill Junior College, sophomore year at Point Loma in San Diego, junior year at Cal Western, and finished her undergraduate at the University of Oregon. While she loved her studies that earned her a degree in English Literature (cementing her life-long passion for reading), she knew she wanted to do more and help people. To that end Marty completed a Master’s of Social Work at the University of Washington in 1988.
Amidst the journey through education Marty met and married Jim Huston and they had two daughters, Lani in 1966, and Nicole in 1972. Marty and Jim raised their girls on the east side of Seattle in the Renton and Issaquah areas. As the years passed on, Marty and Jim parted ways but always made it a priority to amicably raise their daughters. The loyalty of loving your family forever was a lesson easily taught by Marty and her love persisted beyond shared walls. In addition to raising her own daughters, Marty helped many area youth as a counselor at Friends of Youth in Issaquah and then while managing the Friends of Youth Snoqualmie office.
Marty kept moving — both towards her passion of helping and counseling people an towards her great love of nature. In the 1990s, Marty found her little patch of paradise in Twisp, where she remained for the rest of her life. She loved Twisp deeply along with all her friends in the area. She loved her garden and enjoyed the beauty that grew naturally everywhere. Friends and family were lucky to enjoy long walks and deep conversations with Marty along many scenic roads and paths.
Most of all Marty loved her family, especially her grandchildren. The only thing that made Twisp more beautiful was throwing the grandkids — Cyrus, Oliver and Hazel — into the mix. Marty was a superb baker and the smells of baking always filled her home. Marty was also a gifted seamstress, knitter and quilter. From her hands, beauty was created, from food to gorgeous quilts.
Marty was preceded in death by her mother Corinne Gaul (Bellion), her father Willard Gaul, her sister Sharon Birks, and brother James Gaul. She leaves behind many family members and friends including daughters Lani Huston (and Archer Brown) and Nicole Huston Kapise (and Chuck Kapise), and grandchildren Cyrus Brown, Oliver Kapise and Hazel Kapise. She counted many amongst her circle of friends. All who knew her will miss her greatly.
