Fall 2026

I recently attended a celebration of life for Carmel resident, long- time Carmel Magazine sales associate and dear friend Martha “Marty” Lewis, who passed away earlier this year. Marty was a gift to those of us who knew her—someone to be treasured, as she brought so much love into everything she did. When local music icon Dennis Murphy spoke at the memorial service, he described Marty as “enlightened,” which she most certainly was. Dennis captured how unique and full of love she was. I was lucky enough to have worked with Marty in the 90s and hired her three different times over 30 years. One of those times was when I brought her out of retire- ment to come back to Carmel Magazine because she missed it and we missed her. Marty was super passion- ate and driven to connect people. She knew that she possessed the unique skill of bringing people together and that was certainly apparent in every aspect of her life. She believed that all of us are connected and therefore could exist in peace and harmony—every- one could get along if shown how. She strived to help create world peace and was working for many years to try and facilitate peace and love across the globe. This reigned as the predominant focus of her life over the last 30 years. My kids knew her as their fairy godmother. I assume many kids knew Marty as their fairy godmother as well. She had a whimsical way about her and a unique sense of style with festive hats and long, flowing black skirts, which I am told she had quite a selection of on tap. Marty attendedWoodstock; she told me that she sat on the stage. She knew of my deep fondness for Jimi Hendrix and often surprised me on birthdays and Christmases with a special Hendrix present. Her generos- ity and compassion were undeniable. She was a free spirit and wonderful human—one of the most caring and thoughtful people I’ve ever known. They broke the mold with Marty. She will certainly be missed as she truly was a special one off. She is survived by her two sons, Justin and Jesse Lewis. Having been to two funerals in the last two weeks, I am reminded of how lucky we are to be alive and how we need to have perspective on what is important.A smile or compli- ment or simple word of encouragement can go a long way in making someone’s day. This goes for anyone, includ- ing complete strangers. As we move into the hol- iday season, it’s important to remember that there are people around us who are struggling, whether from poor health—mentally or physically—or from lack of access to food or shelter, or any sort of happiness for whatever reason. We have the power to help in any number of ways. It doesn’t require much time or any money, just a little effort. If you have a positive attitude and can create a positive attitude in another person you have done a great thing. We all need to believe in each other as well as ourselves. Life is short and most of us who live in this amazing part of the world have it pretty good, so let’s pass that goodness on. Lastly, a big shout out to the firefighters and organizations who keep us safe—we all appreciate your service! The firefighters did such an incredible job of taking control of the Big Sur Timber Fire.They are definitely doing their part to make this world a better place with their selfless service and are a good reminder for us to do our part, too. 54 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 6 PUBLISHER’S NOTE S T E V E S N I D E R Peace, Love and Happiness Martha “Marty” Ellen Lewis February 6, 1948 — January 9, 2026 Photo: Ruben Cota