Tributes for Lisa Martoo, Gympie Special School, High School teacher

A beloved Gympie and Sunshine Coast teacher is being remembered by her family and friends as ‘one of a kind’ with an incredible passion for her students following her shock death at age 62.

Beloved teacher Lisa Martoo (nee Sakrzewski) is being remembered by her family and friends as “one of a kind” with an incredible passion for her students following her shock death at age 62.

Beloved teacher Lisa Martoo (nee Sakrzewski) is being remembered by her family and friends as “one of a kind” with an incredible passion for her students following her shock death at age 62.

Her children Hannah and Nelson said their mother’s death after suffering a stroke on Saturday, May 24, was a “massive shock” and sparked an outpouring of love, grief and support from across the community, including former students.

Lisa and her five siblings – sisters Sylvia, Ann and Jane, and brothers Ron and Matthew – grew up on a farm at Murgon, about 100km west from the city she would build her remarkable career in.

She moved to Gympie in 1983 at age 21 after studying at Brisbane to be a home economics teacher.

Her first post was to the Gympie Special School, where she remained a fixture until 1992.

Hannah said despite the fact it was not the specialty she had studied for, “she loved it”.

Beloved teacher Lisa Martoo (nee Sakrzewski) is being remembered by her family and friends as “one of a kind” with an incredible passion for her students following her shock death at age 62.

“She was very well regarded as an early years teacher,” Hannah said, adding her mum had even taught her when she was in Year 1.

She had only been living in Gympie for one year when she met planning consultant and eventual council town planning head Greg Martoo, whom she eventually married.

Lisa’s teaching career continued in the region with roles at Gympie South State School and Gympie State High School where, 15 years after first studying to teach home economics, she was finally able to fulfil her desire.

She then headed to the Sunshine Coast to take up a position at Nambour State High School before finally moving over to St Andrew’s Anglican College.

Hannah said her mum retired from the job about five years ago.

Lisa Martoo with her husband Greg, and children Nelson and Hannah

Even then she still could not stay away, with Lisa stepping in to help for short stints due to teacher shortages caused during the Covid pandemic.

“She always said she missed the kids,” Hannah said.

While teaching may have been the most prominent part of Lisa’s life, it was far from her only love.

Hannah and Nelson said she had been part of Gympie’s SES in the 1980s, as well as a member of the Rainbow Beach Surf Club.

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Lisa loved sewing too, had been a regular presence in the region’s touch football scene, had managed a girls’ rugby league team while at Gympie High, and undertaken Kokoda challenges through her school.

“She was forever doing stuff like that,” Nelson said.

Then there was her love of Australian rock and roll and the nation’s iconic Countdown show.

Nelson said growing up he would often see her “bopping” around home with the show on.

“She loved her music,” Hannah said.

Then there were her grandchildren Edward, Vincent, Rocco and Gianni, who Lisa said was like starting with “a new class” as “challenging as any she saw”.

Her children Hannah and Nelson said their mother’s death after suffering a stroke on Saturday, May 24 was a “massive shock” and sparked an outpouring of love, grief and support from across the community, including former students. Photo Craig Warhurst / The Gympie Times

They said Lisa enjoyed running, and had been training to run her first half-marathon when she suffered the stroke on Saturday, May 24.

Her death was a “massive shock”, Hannah said.

Hannah said she was “a little daunted” at the thought of her mum being gone, especially her knack of “planting a seed in your head” when it came to the best way forward on decisions you were trying to make.

The announcement of her death on Facebook drew an outpouring of support from friends, family and former students who remembered her as “an amazing teacher” and “a beautiful lady”.

Rachael Alexander simply called her “one of a kind”.

Lisa’s funeral is being held on Friday from 11am at Gympie Funerals on Brisbane Rd with Hannah saying on Facebook “all welcome to celebrate the life of our incredible Mum”.

The service will be followed by a wake at the Woollahra Homestead at Kybong.

Originally published as Tributes for Lisa Martoo, Gympie Special School, High School teacher