Plan for the Future
Born in Orange NJ on September 18, 1926 to William and Margaret Van Arsdale, Martha lived in East Orange, Union, and New York City before moving to Chatham in 1957.
Martha attended Cornell University New York Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1949 as an RN. She subsequently earned her master’s degree from Columbia University in 1956.
Nursing was her passion. Having started out working at New York Hospital from 1949 – 1957 as a staff nurse and later as a supervisor and Instructor for the School of Nursing, she furthered her career in nursing working for the School District of the Chatham’s as a substitute School Nurse from 1957 – 1971. In 1971, she went back to work full time as a Quality Assurance Coordinator and Nursing Educator at Overlook Hospital until her retirement in 1993.
Martha was a member of Ogden Church in Chatham since 1957 and was the second woman elder and also served as a deacon and President of the Women’s Society. She was a member of the American Nurses Association as well as the National League of Nursing. Martha enjoyed gardening and reading.
Martha is survived by her children, David J. Kiff and his wife Liana of Minnetonka, MN and Deborah Sue Masson of Madison. She is the grandmother to Margaret, Christopher, and Jonathan Masson and the sister to William Van Arsdale and Elizabeth Van Arsdale.
