Martha A. (Gallagher) Joyal

Nashua – Martha A. (Gallagher) Joyal, passed away peacefully on Oct 21, 2025, with family by her side. Martha was born on February 13, 1947, in San Diego, CA. She grew up in Chelmsford, MA, and graduated from Chelmsford High. She worked for several companies in HR and Administration before marrying husband, Rene, in 1972.

While her kids were young, she was a stay-at-home mother. She returned to work when they became teens and retired following fifteen years leading resident activities at Courville Manor in Nashua, NH. In retirement, she enjoyed travel, music concerts, numerous outings and trips with her meetup group and widows group, playing cards and games with her friends, dinner with neighbors, and family gatherings.

Martha’s life prioritized one word: Connections. At Courville, she reached out to all residents, especially Alzheimer patients, and gave them tactile tasks to keep them connected. She enjoyed helping people in need: she sewed pajamas for children and knitted mittens and socks for homeless men. She showed up first when a friend needed help.

Martha was a prolific baker. She sent baked goods to relatives in college and the military. When her kids were young, she sent holiday-themed baked goods to school classes to ensure every student felt loved and seen. Her boys’ teenage friends often sought her out as confidante. She hosted numerous (famous) spaghetti dinners for the Nashua High Cross Country Teams.

Her grandkids nicknamed her “Happy.” Nieces and nephews describe her as a force and a ball of energy. In later years she still played on the floor with her granddaughter and grandnephews, even if she needed help to stand. She loved her family and never missed opportunities to gather.

Her favorite places were Unity, ME, where the family rented a lake house, and Goose Rocks and Old Orchard Beaches. She shared her love of camping and the outdoors. She taught her boys how to clean fish. Her family will miss her spirit and energy.

Martha was predeceased by her parents, husband, Rene E. Joyal, and her sister, Becky. She leaves behind two sons, Christopher, and his wife, Denise, and Jamieson and his wife, Stephanie, and a daughter, Cheryl, and her husband Gary; her grandchildren, Emma Joyal, Jayde Cantner, and Aaron Cantner; her two brothers, Jones and Timm, and her sister, Teresa; and several nieces, grandnieces, nephews, and grandnephews.

SERVICES: A wake and memorial service was held on Friday, October 24, 2025, at Phaneuf Funeral Home, in Nashua, and family and friends gathered Saturday for a memorial cookout. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Sleep in Heavenly Peace (https://shpbeds.org/donate/), the Nashua Soup Kitchen (https://nsks.org/donate/) , or the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, NH (https://nsks.org/donate/).