8 minute read
The Martin Family: Counting Their Blessings Every Day
Resident Feature by Christina Manning
Photos by Abbe Foreman Photography www.AbbeForemanPhotography.com
Thanks to Alpha Century Security of Newtown Square for sponsoring our Resident Feature.
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This month’s Newtown Square family, Aonghus and Laura Martin and their three children, were a delight to get to know.
Laura was born in center city Philadelphia. At Central High School, she played All Public Field Hockey, and was the leading scorer in the Philadelphia Public League. After two years at Northeastern University, she transferred to Fordham University School of Business in New York. During her senior year, she worked fulltime at Merrill Lynch as a trader, while attending night classes at Fordham, and graduated in 2005 with a Finance degree.
Aonghus grew up in Carrigans, County Donegal, Ireland. In 2002, he graduated with a law degree (LL.B) from the University of Birmingham in the UK. He continued his education in London at Queen Mary University Commercial and Corporate Law LL.M, graduating in 2004. Since then, Aonghus has worked for international law firms in London and New York, and as in-house counsel for large technology companies and banks.
Aonghus and Laura Martin
Photo by Abbe Foreman Photography www.AbbeForemanPhotography.com
Aonghus and Laura met in December, 2011, in Marylebone, London at the Beehive Pub while they were both there for work. “I loved his warm smile and how thoughtful and handsome he was,” gushed Laura. “And she had the kindest heart and such pretty green eyes!” said Aonghus. They both knew right away they were a perfect match because they’re so family-oriented and adventurous!
In 2013, they got married in Enniskerry, Ireland. To create a humorous “Irish vs. USA” theme, their rehearsal dinner party had live Irish music and cheesesteak sliders. Because they were planning to move to the US, they honeymooned far from the States, in such places as Greece, South Africa and Mauritius. Aonghus and Laura then started their married life in Richmond, a sweet little town on the Thames River, ten miles southwest of London.
When Aonghus learned he had passed his New York Bar exam, the company he worked for at that time, Bank of America, approved his request to work remotely in the U.S. “We were ecstatic!” We immediately gave our landlord notice and sold everything,” Laura recalled. However, Bank of America changed plans and decided they needed Aonghus to manage the technology legal team from the London office. “What we thought would be the next exciting chapter in our lives — living in the US — was instead us having to start over from scratch,” said Aonghus.
While in the States for Christmas 2015, Aonghus was offered a job at a US law firm. They promptly packed their bags and moved to center city Philadelphia. Soon thereafter, Laura found out she was pregnant with twins! During her extremely difficult pregnancy, Laura was on bedrest for eight weeks in the hospital, but Aonghus was by her side every single night. At 34 weeks, the twins were delivered. “We had a few too many scary moments while the twins were in the NICU,” recalled Laura. “But now Brady and Ava Grace are almost 5 and are thriving!”
The Martin children (L-R): Brady, Oliver and Ava Grace
Photo by Abbe Foreman Photography www.AbbeForemanPhotography.com
Brady is an affectionate and curious little guy who will soon start Jr. Kindergarten at St. David’s Nursery. He enjoys playing hide-and-seek with his siblings and racing his scooter around the racetrack on the back deck of their house. He’s a “contemplative thinker” who loves learning how things around him are built and how they work. Brady will soon start karate lessons.
Ava Grace is clever and adventurous, and will soon join Brady at Jr. Kindergarten. She enjoys playing with him, especially trying to beat him around the racetrack. She is “the leader and the risk-taker.” “When Ava Grace first learned to walk on the beach,” Laura said, “she made a beeline for the ocean!” Ava Grace will soon start dance lessons. “The bond the twins share is one of the most incredible things we’ve ever witnessed!” said The Martins.
The youngest member of the Martin Family, Oliver, is a funny and confident three-year-old who will also attend St. David’s Nursery, in the 4s class. He is 16 months younger than the twins, but thinks he’s the same age. He’s a risk-taker like Ava Grace. Oliver and his two older siblings all do Soccer Shots and gymnastics together. Oliver will join Brady for karate lessons.
Aonghus currently works for a multinational company, as their legal counsel advising on privacy- and technology-related matters. “I find solving legal problems and working with colleagues and clients around the world very interesting!” he said. He looks forward to continuing to help the company grow and remain a great place to work.
Irish soccer player Aonghus Martin (left, in the green jersey) in the late '90s
Photo courtesy of Aonghus Martin
In his spare time, Aonghus enjoys playing soccer in two local leagues. Growing up, Aonghus and his brother played soccer every day, both dreaming of becoming professional players. They both played for about 20 years in the lower leagues in England and for the Northern Ireland Youth National Teams. Soon after, Aonghus played on the Scotish Professional Team. “Aonghus’ mother has a whole scrapbook filled with newspaper clippings about The Martin Brothers!” said Laura.
When Laura was working for Merrill Lynch in 2006, she was offered and accepted a job at Citigroup, in investment banking with a focus on wind energy sectors. Her job required moving to Copenhagen, where she discovered her passion for interior design and changed careers. She pursued her new career path in London for five years, then headed back to the States where she officially started her own interior design and remodeling firm, Laura Martin Interior Design and Build (www.LauraMartinInteriors.com). She completed one of her home renovations while on bedrest with the twins in the hospital. That was a memorable client project, to say the least.
Outside of her work, Laura is an admin on the Main Line Parent Community Facebook Group. Her role is to help families in domestic abuse situations relocate to their home and rebuild their lives.
Oliver, Ava Grace and Brady Martin
Photo courtesy of Laura Martin
In 2016, the Martin family moved to Wayne, and then in 2018, to Liseter in Newtown Square. The couple recently joined White Manor Country Club and started playing golf for a fun way to spend the day together. They enjoy spending time with their neighbors, attending game nights, barbecues by the pool, whiskey nights for the men and ladies night out.
Aonghus and Laura Martin at an Eagles game
Photo courtesy of Laura Martin
To take their kids exploring, they purchased a bike seat and trailer. “They love it!” boasted Aonghus. In the Martin house, Sundays are reserved for the Eagles. Laura is a huge fan and they all are looking forward to cheering the Eagles on this fall. “While we were in London, I never missed a game,” Laura recalled.
Aonghus and Laura Martin at Liseter Pond with their children (L-R) Ava Grace, Oliver and Brady
Photo by Abbe Foreman Photography
“Our beautiful home is certainly a blessing,” said the Martins, “but it’s a bonus, not a necessity. Our family is our necessity in life.” Each time they moved, their goal always was to find a home in which they’d love to raise a family. They never would hang anything on the walls in their other homes because they knew those were just temporary stops on the way to their final destination. “We couldn’t have chosen a better place than Liseter. It’s important to us that our community embraces all generations of families in Newtown Square,” said Laura and Aonghus, “It’s a blessing to know we are exactly where we are supposed to be!”
Do you know a family that readers of our magazine might like to meet in an upcoming issue? Nominate them by email to Christina Manning at CManning@BestVersionMedia.com.
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