ROCKPORT — Martha Bryant Bonzi, 89, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Breakwater Commons in Rockland.

Born November 9, 1935, in Pasadena, California, to Ernest and Judith Bryant, Martha's life was marked by an insatiable curiosity and a profound appreciation for beauty in all its forms.

After graduating from high school in California and beginning her college studies at Scripps College, Martha married the love of her life, Ted Bonzi, and together they welcomed four children. When Ted's untimely passing left her widowed with four children under the age of eight, Martha's resilience and strength became the foundation upon which she built an extraordinary life.

Her passion for photography drew her to the Maine Photographic Workshop in Rockport, beginning a series of cross-country pilgrimages between the coasts as she nurtured her lifelong loves: Buddhism, photography, and gardening. A devoted student of Buddhism for many years, Martha studied at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Buddhist Studies in 1986. She became a generous patron, supporting the growth of Buddhist practice in the Western world. Her spiritual journey also led her to live and study with Native American communities in the Pacific Northwest.

When Martha finally settled in Rockport, she transformed her home and gardens into spaces of remarkable beauty, always with a remodeling project underway. She possessed a rare gift for making any space she touched both welcoming and extraordinary.

Martha lived with a remarkable passion and fearless determination, never allowing obstacles to dim her spirit. Her tenacity, zest for life, and generous heart will be profoundly missed by all who were blessed to know and love her.

Predeceased by her husband; her brother, Ernest A. Bryant, III; and her sister, Judith Friend; Martha is survived by her children, Sally Staver and her husband John of Jacksonville, Oregon, Helen Bonzi of Rockport, Judy Bonzi and her husband Scott Gazelle of Rockport, Ned Bonzi and his wife Heather of Encinitas, California; 11 grandchildren, as well as many great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and a large loving extended family.

Martha’s family has chosen to remember her life privately. To share a memory or condolence with them, please visit their Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.

Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, Rockland, Maine.