Martin Emil Marty, a notable former Riverside resident, religious historian and retired University of Chicago Divinity School professor, died in his Minneapolis care community on Feb. 25, 2025. He was 97. The family noted the cause of death as “old age,” though his trademark sparkle-in-the-eye and generosity of spirit remained with him to the end.
In a 2014 column in the Landmark, JoAnne Kosey noted that Marty was returning to Riverside that January to for a Taize Prayer service at St. Mary Parish. He was to offer a personal reflection after the service.
Kosey wrote, “Those who remember Dr. Marty from his time in Riverside might recall him walking around town, a man with a warm smile greeting those he encountered. Music was also a part of the Marty household with his wife, Harriet, being a musician.”
Martin E. Marty, an eminent church historian, prolific chronicler and interpreter of religion and its role in public life, died at the age of 97 on Feb. 25 in a Minneapolis care facility where he spent his final years. https://t.co/V0X86fSuGY pic.twitter.com/tE55asTdJx
— MinistryWatch.com (@MinistryWatch) February 28, 2025