Martha Louise Swain Foxx, beloved mother, sister, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at her home on March 10, 2026. She was born in Perry, Florida on April 8, 1944 to Alvis Edison “Dude” Swain and Thelma Land Swain. She was the middle of seven children.

Marty spent her early years in Waycross, Georgia, where she graduated from Ware County High School. She spent her junior year in Warrenton, NC when her father worked on the Jordan Dam project in 1961. It was the first time she had ever seen mountains, and she fell in love with them, making many trips throughout her life to Valle Crucis and Asheville to enjoy the changing of the leaves.

Marty contracted polio at the age of six, just after starting first grade. She spent weeks in the Waycross Hospital undergoing treatments with hot woolen cloths wrapped around her arms. She was then transferred to the Aidmore Shriner’s Hospital in Atlanta, where she was kept flat on her back in bed for seven months with daily physical therapy. Her parents visited as often as they could, but the trip was a hardship. She didn’t remember being sad, as she had a wonderful nurse who gave her lots of special love and attention in a ward for eight children. Marty eventually regained the use of her left lower arm and hand, but her entire right arm and shoulders remained paralyzed. She had therapies and braces at Warm Springs and was able to return to school; she refused to let her disability define her life. Marty knew early on that she wanted to become a teacher. With the help of the Federal Program for Vocational Rehabilitation, she was able to go to college to become a teacher. She spent two years at Tift College and then graduated from Valdosta State College. She took a teaching position in Savannah right out of college and stayed there the rest of her life, falling in love with the historic city. Marty taught in the public school system for 30 years, specializing in 5th grade and science. She excelled at novel teaching methods such as cutting a trail through the woods and starting an organic garden next to her classroom. Marty loved sharing her own love of nature with her students.

Marty married Doyle Foxx at First Baptist Church of Savannah in 1968, and they raised two children together. They divorced after 35 years but remained friends for life. With Doyle’s encouragement and support, Marty learned to drive when she was 35 years old, which was a huge achievement for her. She drove back and forth to Georgia Southern, two evenings a week, to earn her Master's Degree while teaching full time. She was thrilled to be a student again. Marty and Doyle were faithful members of the Murphy-Richardson Sunday School Class and the Adult Choir at First Baptist Church, developing lifelong friendships with the members there. Her church family was always a source of strength, support, encouragement, and joy.

Marty attended the first organizational meeting of the Coastal Empire Polio Survivors Association (CEPSA) in 1997. She served as Treasurer, Vice-President, and President over the years. She found the other members to be a phenomenal group of people – brave, positive, and inspiring. They were like another family to her and she loved them all.

Marty is survived by her daughter, Shannon Foxx Willhite and her husband, Dale Willhite, and her son, Scott Foxx and his husband Tim Chapman; her best friend, Doyle Foxx; her sisters, Myrna Jordan (Johnny Jordan), and Mary Emma Kicklighter (AC Kicklighter); and her brothers, Mike Swain, and Richard Swain (Linda Swain). She is also survived by two grandchildren who brought her immense pride and joy:  Jackson Willhite (Camryn Willhite) and John Foxx Willhite, as well as two great-grandsons, Kayce James Willhite and Mason Stanley Willhite.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff of Hospice Savannah, Home Instead, and steadfast friends for their commitment to Marty’s care and well-being. Marty will be remembered for her quick wit, infectious laugh, directness, desire for knowledge, and steadfast faith. Her legacy of love and determination will live on in her family and the many lives she touched.

Funeral:  11:00 a.m., Monday, March 16, 2026, at First Baptist Church of Savannah (223 Bull Street, on Chippewa Square), conducted by Reverend Kyle Reese and Reverend John Finley. A reception will follow the service in the chapel below the sanctuary.