Martha Anne Hempel Lansing, MD, age 78 years, of East Amwell Township, NJ, died on Thursday, February 4, 2021 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ.

Born on August 14, 1942 in New Haven, CT, daughter of the late Elizabeth Clark Hempel and Rev. Edwin N.P. Hempel, she was raised in Connecticut and Queens, NY, as her father served several churches during her childhood years in those areas. Over the years she had lived in Houghton, NY, Pittsburgh, PA, Milan, MI, Lake Braddock, VA, El Reno, OK, Germantown, TN, Montgomery, PA, and Lawrenceville, NJ prior to moving to East Amwell Township, NJ, twenty-five years ago.

After graduating from Andrew Jackson High School in New York, Martha went on to attend Houghton College where she majored in music education with a concentration in pipe organ performance.  She loved music passionately and loved playing and sharing it with everyone from an early age.

In addition to her degree from Houghton, she also emerged from college with something that would be more important than anything able to be hung on a wall: her husband. Meeting her soul mate, Douglas Lansing when they were both freshman, each knew instantly that they had met the other half of their hearts. Doug was especially fond of the fact that Martha was always so full of energy and always said what was on her mind. She helped him see his own potential, and together they brought out the best in each other. It was on June 20, 1964, one week after graduation, that the couple would be united in marriage and their new life would begin.

Martha and Douglas would soon move from New York for Douglas’ work, and they happily continued down the path of life. Over the years, Martha developed an interest in medicine, and with the encouragement and support of Douglas and her family, at the age of 34 she would go back to college to complete two years of prerequisites for medical school.

After acing the prerequisites, at the age 36 Martha would be accepted into medical school at the University of Oklahoma. For an ‘older’ woman in the 1970’s, this was no small-feat. However, to all those who knew Martha, this is no surprise. She would graduate with honors with ‘Family Practice’ as her primary foundation of study.

To Martha, medicine, particularly family medicine, was a ministry. Like her father who put in long days as a Methodist minister, who made house calls and worked tirelessly, Martha was committed to selfless service and made her patients a priority. She was known as a physician of compassion who respected her patients as individuals and worked to empower them to manage their own healthcare.

Martha had an uncanny ability to connect with people deeply. She was always evolving and lived by the Bob Dylan lyrics of “He who is not busy being born is busy dying,” which hung on her wall next to her desk at home. She felt that every day was a good day to learn and grow and she put this energy into her practice.

As a physician Martha sought to treat mind, body and soul.  She felt that her role as a family physician included an obligation to serve as a vital link to help people live a happy life, to their full potential.

Life would lead the couple and their family to New Jersey, where Martha would evolve in her role as physician to that of physician and educator. At the time of her passing, Martha was serving as Associate Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health of Robert Wood Johnson Rutgers School of Medicine.The following was written by Interim Dean of the Medical School, Robert L. Johnson, and accurately sums up Martha’s last few years serving the community:

“A graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Dr. Lansing was an exemplary practicing clinician for more than 39 years and had a long and productive career in medical education at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and its predecessors that extended more than 30 years. She began her career in a private family medicine practice in the Princeton area, and over the years cared for many faculty and families from the university.

She joined the department as program director of the medical school’s family medicine residency at Capitol Health and graduated scores of residents before assuming the position of vice chair for clinical and academic programs in New Brunswick. Recently she helped develop and extensively taught leadership skills courses to RBHS faculty and students at the Rutgers Center for Organization Leadership. Dr. Lansing was also trained and served as a certified psychoanalyst for many years and has been the consulting attending physician at the Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care adult and adolescent inpatient units in Piscataway.

A trusted mentor and advisor to legions of health professionals, Dr. Lansing was known for her sage advice and genuine caring, guiding many careers. Among her many awards, she received recognition as the statewide ‘Family Physician of the Year’ from the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians for her exemplary patient care and contributions to medical education.”

Mentor. Advisor. Friend. Advocate. Wife. Mother. Sister. Aunt. Friend.

No words do justice to this fiery spirit who live life with a “Joie de Vivre” and infected everyone with her love in the most amazing way possible.

Martha had many hobbies including sewing, gardening, and spending time at one of her favorite places, the beach. The Outer Banks of North Carolina held a special place in the hearts of Martha and the Lansing family.

She was also well known as a cook, and enjoyed planning and executing large family gatherings. It was not so much because she like to cook, that she organized these gatherings, but rather because she enjoyed having family and friends together, living life.

Though her time on Earth ended abruptly, Martha would want all those who knew her to focus not on what could have been, but rather what was, and what will always be. Martha lived for relationships, and she would want you to remember her ‘contagious-in-a-good-way’ laugh, as well as would encourage you to find the harmony and happiness in your own life and to never be afraid to seek it out.

Martha, thank you for always inspiring-your light is as bright as it ever was and shines through the eyes of all with whom you have touched in your role as a caring human.

Surviving are her beloved husband, Douglas Lansing; her children and their spouses, Elizabeth Lansing and Steve Nebiker, Stephen and Jenine Lansing, and Carolyn Lansing; her grandchildren, Evelyn and Emmett; her sister, Mary H. Hudson and brother, Paul T. Hempel; her canine companion, Molly; several extended family members; her cherished students, patients, and colleagues; and many dear friends.

Family and friends will be received on Sunday, February 21, 2021 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

A life celebration service officiated by Certified Life Celebrant D.J. Wright will begin at 4:00 p.m. and to which all are welcome.

Interment will take place privately.

Realizing that many people will be unable to attend due to the current pandemic restrictions, the Life Celebration Service at 4:00 p.m. will be live-streamed with the following link allowing you to be a part of the services virtually: please click HERE to watch the service (kindly ensure that you do not have a pop-up blocker installed and note that the live-stream will begin at 3:45 p.m.).

Additionally, if you are unable to attend and wish to have any words read at the service on your behalf, please feel free to email your remarks to the funeral home by clicking HERE and they will be incorporated into the service if possible.

It is important to remember that given the current state of the pandemic, masks must be worn at all times on funeral home grounds, and social distancing must be maintained. Please follow the instructions of the Wright & Ford Care Team Family Ambassadors upon arrival. It is also requested that you please remember that only a certain number of people are allowed in the funeral home at any given time so we ask you to please remain cognizant of your time spent with the family so that others may express their love and support as well.

You are encouraged to visit Martha’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

In an effort to continue Dr. Lansing’s professional mission and honor her legacy, the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, in collaboration with the Lansing family, is establishing the Martha A. Lansing Annual Lectureship. This Lectureship will support a yearly widely promoted broadcast and in-person lecture at the school that will host prominent speakers from across the country so that future physicians will continue to benefit from Martha’s passionate dedication in fostering and teaching exceptional patient care. In lieu of flowers, please click HRE to be taken to her personal and secure donation page. Any and all contributions are greatly appreciated. For those who wish to mail a contribution, please do so by making a check payable to ‘In Memory Of’, noting ‘Dr. M. Lansing’ in the memo and mailing to: In Memory Of, P.O. Box 5472, Charlottesville, VA 22905.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”