Martha Van Oot
Orleans, MA – Martha “Marty” Van Oot, a distinguished attorney and
fierce advocate for justice who was deeply committed to her family and
friends, died Sunday, Aug. 17 at her home in Orleans, Massachusetts.
She was 73.
Marty was born on November 13, 1951, in Midland, Michigan, to
Elizabeth Dawson Oot and Albert P. Oot Jr. She grew up in Westminster,
Vermont, graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College and earned
her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law.
Marty served in the NH Attorney General’s Office before turning to
private practice and building a distinguished career with several
Granite State firms as an admired partner, top litigator, and valued
mediator. In 2012, she joined Jackson Lewis in Portsmouth as a partner
and practiced there until her retirement in 2021.
She received numerous honors throughout her four-decade career as a
litigator, including the NH Campaign for Legal Services’ John R. Tobin
Jr. Justice Award for her decades-long work advocating for access to
justice, and the NH Women’s Bar Association’s Marilla M. Ricker Award.
She was a dedicated supporter of Democratic and progressive candidates
and served on numerous charitable and civic boards, including the
Granite, Merrimack, and Greater Manchester United Ways; New Horizons,
Inc; the New Hampshire Endowment for Health; and the Friends of Norris
Cancer Center.
For those who were lucky enough to know her, Marty’s most important
legacy will be as a devoted friend and fierce ally whose generosity
knew no bounds. She was an anchor of her family, whom she loved beyond
reason.
Marty is survived by her son Benjamin Van Oot, his wife Sarah Daly Van
Oot, and their children Olivia Van Oot, and Jack, Avery, and Noah
Diorio; her siblings Christopher Oot (Sara), Peter D. Van Oot, Laura
Oot Sheridan (John), and Betsy Van Oot.
In lieu of flowers, Marty’s family asks friends to consider donations
in her honor to the NH Campaign for Legal Services, the Family Pantry
of Cape Cod or the Pan-Mass Challenge. Maybe the best way to honor her
legacy is to live your life as she did: by trying to leave the world a
better place than you found it.
For online condolences, please visit www.NickersonFunerals.com