16/05/2026
The beloved mother of Foundation co-founder Lia DiTrapano Fairless, Martha Caroline Veazey DiTrapano, passed away peacefully at her home on May 12, 2026, surrounded by her family and loved ones. Martha was an incredible woman whose support helped get the foundation off the ground. She will be deeply missed. You can read her obituary below. In lieu of flowers, Lia suggests making donations to the Giancarlo DiTrapano Foundation for Literature and the Arts (https://www.ditrapanofoundation.com/donate) and Hospice Care (https://www.hospicecarewv.org/make-a-donation/).
Martha Caroline Veazey DiTrapano, 92, died peacefully at her home on May 12, 2026, surrounded by her family and loved ones.
Martha was born in Charleston, West Virginia on January 20, 1934. She was the daughter of the late Alice Chambers Veazey and Louis Alphonsus Veazey. Martha was predeceased by her husband of 60 years Rudolph Lidano DiTrapano; sons, Lidano Albert DiTrapano and Giancarlo Veazey DiTrapano; sisters, Jane Lewis, Norma Sexton, Joanette Gould; brother, Dr. Richard Veazey.
Martha is survived by her children, Luisa DiTrapano (Cyrus) of Charleston, Dante diTrapano (Teri) of Charleston, Lia DiTrapano Fairless (L.J.) of South Charleston; her grandchildren Zachary diTrapano of Crestview, Florida, Niccia diTrapano of Palm City, Florida, Santino diTrapano of Charleston, Ben Fairless of Denver, Colorado, Sofia diTrapano of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and Francesca Fairless of Charleston; her great-grandchildren, Braelyn, Avari and Hadley diTrapano, Natalia Valentine and Aubrey diTrapano and numerous nieces and nephews.
Martha was born and raised in Pratt, West Virginia until she was 8 years old when she moved to Charleston’s East End and lived on Piedmont Road. Martha attended grade school at Sacred Heart and started working at the Carte Street Grocery when she was 12. She graduated from Charleston Catholic High School in 1951. In high school she was referred to as one of Charleston Catholic’s liveliest seniors. She displayed her talents as an Irishette in the minstrel for 3 years. Martha was an active Sodalist throughout her 4 years at Charleston Catholic. She contributed much of her time during her senior year toward the revision of the school paper, The Rambler. She was employed in the Safety Management Division at Union Carbide for several years before starting a family. She attended Morris Harvey College after raising 5 children.
Martha was active in the community serving on numerous boards including: the Charleston Ballet, Tamarack, Community Music and Fund for the Arts. She supported women artists of West Virginia and she and Rudy were patrons of the Clay Center, University of Charleston, Wheeling Jesuit College and Charleston Catholic High School.
Martha was faithful, loyal, intelligent, generous, discrete, brutally honest, and brave. She enjoyed traveling the world with her husband and close friends covering several continents. She took one of the last flights on the Concord to Paris for a special anniversary with her love Rudy. Martha was an incredible cook and decorator and was a collector of distinct pieces of art. She was elegant, stylish and a visionary. For the last 15 years, her house in Kanawha City was the early morning gathering spot for family and friends to enjoy espresso, conversation, and her affection. She was the family matriarch and will be missed dearly.
The family would like to thank Kanawha Hospice Care and their medical director Dr. Katherine Calloway for her outstanding support, as well as her wonderful and devoted caregivers who treated her like a queen; Marta Raab, Marta Miranda, Patti Balazs, Patti Stamper, Tammy Fink, Dekasia Bannister and Jeanetta McCoy.
There will be a visitation at Snodgrass Funeral Home in South Charleston on Friday, 15, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Saturday morning at 10:00 am, May 16, 2026, with Father John Finnell officiating. Burial will follow in Cunningham Memorial Park, St. Albans.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Giancarlo DiTrapano Foundation for Literature and the Arts and Hospice Care.
Memories of Martha may be shared by visiting www.snodgrassfuneral.com and selecting obituary. Snodgrass Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
