Dr. Martha Fay Dr. Martha B. Fay, a community activist in the areas of health, education and civil rights, will be remembered 1 p.m. Jan. 23 during an ecumenical memorial service at First African Baptist Church in Savannah. Fay - a giant among causes she championed - left behind a legacy of commitment, service and a pioneering spirit that crossed racial, ethnic, religious and generational barriers. She passed away Dec. 19 at 96.

As a member of the Chatham County Board of Health, Fay served for three decades and was recognized for her advocacy in the causes of public health and community mental health services. In 2008, she was honored by Mayor Otis Johnson and the Chatham County Health Department, which renamed its building the Dr. Martha B. Fay Public Health Center.

Fay retired from her position on the board of health in 2008 at the age of 94, but she stayed busy quietly pushing issues she cared about. She served as the board chairperson twice during her tenure. She also served as a past president of the Savannah Chatham Board of Education and was first elected during the desegregation period.

Born in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Fay grew up in Moline, Ill. She attended Rockford College, where she studied zoology and chemistry. She earned her doctorate in genetics in 1945 from the University of Illinois, one year later she and her late husband, Richard, moved to Savannah.

In Savannah, Fay developed a network of community advocacy span- ning from her neighborhood in Gordonston to the Yamacraw. Said retired Savannah State professor Ja A. Jahannes, Fay “really did bridge the gap between the races. She was comfortable walking in every neighborhood, in every community and talking to all the people,'' he said.

Though all her accolades show that Fay was versatile, none of her titles explain, her dedication, said Diana Harvey Johnson, a friend for 40 years.

“Almost everybody has a paying job. But Martha Fay's contributions can't be measured,'' Harvey Johnson said. ``She believed that people should have good health services. Up until just recently, she attended the board meetings. Since when do you find a person in their 90s getting up for a 7 a.m. meeting?”

Fay connected communities through dialogue and understanding. “She was a coalition builder,'' said The Rev. Thurmond Tillman, the pastor at First African Baptist Church.

Fay was also a member of the Savannah Unitarian Universalist congregation.

The groups she involved herself with included lending support to the building of the African-American Monument in Savannah and “A Celebration of the Civil Rights Struggle in Savannah: 50 years.''

Fay is the widow of Richard Fay and has three children and three grandchildren.