Martha (Puddy) Sinclair Carreau of Oak Bluffs died at the Royal Nursing Center in Falmouth on May 7 after a brief but valiant battle with cancer. She was 85.

Born in New York city to Alys Sinclair Carreau and Joseph Stanislaus Carreau, Puddy was raised in Pelham Manor, N.Y. She graduated from the Pelham Day School in Pelham Manor, N.Y., and from Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Conn. During World War II, Puddy volunteered for the Red Cross Motor Corps.

Puddy was an accomplished tennis player and an avid sailor and in later years, an enthusiastic boater. She moved to the Vineyard in 1958. She loved her house and cottage on the lagoon in Oak Bluffs. It was what she called her “little slice of heaven.”

Putnam’s beach was one of her favorite places to explore, beachcombing being one of her passions. Puddy’s house and yard are filled with many unusual finds and treasures.

Puddy was a loyal fan of the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots, the Boston Bruins and all televised tennis matches. Her schedule revolved around these events and the TV Guide was her calendar.

Survivors include her sister, Mary Carreau Timberlake of Pelham Manor, N.Y.; her three nieces, Lauren Brady and her husband Thomas of Rye, N.Y., Pamela Steudler and her husband Paul of Falmouth, and Elizabeth Timberlake of Rye, N.Y.; her great-niece, Kirstin Steudler of Falmouth; her great-nephew, Timothy Steudler and his wife Raphaella of Culver City, Calif., and her great-nephew, Thomas Brady of Rye, N.Y.

Her brother, Joseph S. Carreau, predeceased her.

Puddy is loved by many and will be greatly missed by all.

A gathering to celebrate her life will be held at her house at 8 East Side Road, Oak Bluffs on Sunday, June 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. Please come with a story, memory or thought to share informally with each other.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Puddy’s memory may be made to the Lagoon Pond Association Inc., P.O. Box 1978, Vineyard Haven MA 02568 or the American Red Cross, 286 South street, Hyannis MA 02601.