Martha L. Kovar was born of pioneer stock, in Woodland, California on September 11, 1939 and died on October 26, 2019 in Brainard, Nebraska.  She was the daughter of John Stickney Thompson and Elsie Mulford Thompson.  She graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1956 and later in her life attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

She was married to Leopold Kovar on March 24, 1963 in Stockton, California. She was chairman of the Crescent Park Community Council in Richmond, California. The family moved to Philadelphia in 1973 for Martha's job at National Neighbors, an organization serving interracial neighborhoods. She later worked at the Jewish Community Relations Council, then became the executive director of CLASP (Citizens Local Alliance for a Safer Philadelphia).  She was the marketing director for renowned architectural firm Venturi, Rauch, Scott Brown.  In 1989 she moved to Nebraska, a state she loved from her first visit, to her husband's family farm. In Nebraska, she worked for the U.S. Census and the David City Chamber of Commerce. She participated in many community activities, including the OWLS club in David City and Write On in Lincoln.  Due to an accident, she was wheelchair bound for the last 15 years of her life.  She had a sparkling personality, an activist nature, an acute mind, a warm, generous, and compassionate disposition.  She had a creative spirit and wrote poetry.

She is survived by her husband, Leo Kovar, sister Patricia Layton (Ed) of Knightsen, CA, son Aaron Tickner of Plumborough, PA, three daughters: Yolanda Bailey (Larry) of Brainard, Rebecca Kovar (Scott Benjamin) of Federal Way, WA, Victoria Grasso (Dan) of Lincoln, niece Arlene Lillie (Mike) of Michigan, and fourteen grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter, Druscilla Tickner, a niece, Cath Thompson, and two brothers, John P. and Richard Thompson.