After retiring from a successful 30 year career at Ikea, Marty Kritkausky ’70 is now a transition life coach in Wilmington.
How did you choose to be a Life Coach?
I love connecting with people – facilitating those ‘aha moments’ that change the status quo and open up new possibilities. My passion is all about helping people figure out where they are, where they want to be, and helping them get there.
Years ago, my husband, John, and I dreamt about moving to the Chesapeake area to travel and sail together when we wished. Sadly, before I retired from a long and fulfilling career in communications with IKEA, he was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly after. A few months later, I followed my dream and pursued a second career, as a certified professional coach. It was then my true passion was activated - helping others discover their best life. Today, as a transition life coach, I support people nearing retirement as they deal with the mental transition and emotional challenges that occur in post-working life. Many of us just long for the day we ”can” retire, so it may be difficult to imagine the anxiety and fear that accompany retirement planning. As a coach, I help clients retire ”to something not from something”. After much discussion, we create a plan and mindset that will create optimal conditions for the future to be fulfilling and purposeful.
What are your current interests and passions?
I love discovering and experiencing new things. One of the best and well-known opportunities to further that ambition in Wilmington is University of Delaware’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). I am taking a wide variety of interesting courses including history, current events, studio art and yoga. There are no exams, OLLI is truly for those individuals who have a passion for learning. In addition, I recently started volunteering at Hagley Museum where I am contributing my professional marketing and communications expertise. There are many exciting changes underway at Hagley, so please come visit. I am also mentoring students at Endicott College; helping them prepare for professional careers.
How has WFS impacted you since graduation?
My education at Friends instilled a sense of curiosity, self-confidence and enthusiasm to try new things that remain with me today. My love of travel started when I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, in my junior year of college. This was followed by back-packing throughout Europe the summer I graduated from Syracuse University. I was fortunate to have a long and fulfilling career with IKEA, where part of my responsibilities included traveling and meeting interesting people throughout the world. My years as a Friends School student influenced my thinking and point of view to be open and receptive to new ideas and accepting of differences. I didn’t realize that the hours spent in meeting for worship as a student would later contribute to my current comfort with being reflective, and practicing mindfulness and yoga. I value my diverse academic and personal experiences and am grateful to the school community and friendships that have lasted these many years.
What are your favorite WFS memories?
I have many great memories from my thirteen years at Friends. The two that stand out most occurred during the Christmas season. The entire school body singing carols around the mitten tree is one. The other is the men’s chorus walking through every classroom singing the “Boar’s Head” song while carrying a papier-mâché boar’s head on a silver platter. I can still see in my mind’s eye the smallest member of the chorus with a napkin around his neck, knife and fork in hands, pantomiming stealing a piece of the boar off the tray carried by the tallest member. It made quite an impression on this lower schooler. It’s traditions like these and many others that continue to keep school spirit alive.
Marty Marston’70 is ‘a lifer’ who started in kindergarten and graduated thirteen years later with twelve other lifers- they became known as ‘the original thirteen’. She comes from a Friends School family; her parents, aunts on both sides, sister and brother all graduated from Friends. Her mother was especially active as a long-time volunteer in the library then later in the Jones House. After graduating from WFS, Marty attended Endicott College and Syracuse University where she studied fashion design and earned a BFA. A turning point came when she studied in Florence, Italy and was bitten by ‘the travel bug’ and thereafter wanted to see/ travel to new interesting places. Marty built a business career in the retail industry, eventually working in various capacities for IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings company. It was with IKEA that her responsibilities included extensive travel to Scandinavia and other countries. Marty retired from IKEA after almost 30 years, she lives in Wilmington and is now actively enjoying her second-act. You’ll need to contact her to learn about all the interesting activities in which she is participating. mmarston1505@gmail.com
Max Leffler ’22 recently hosted his 5th Annual Disc Golf Tournament, raising $5,200 in support of The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation and its mission to fight childhood cancer.
At the start of summer break, 15 Wilmington Friends Upper School students traveled to El Paso, Texas, as part of a QUEST Term Service/Leadership Trip. This immersive experience combines global education, leadership development, and community engagement.
The mastery program in middle school is a semester or year-long, student-initiated and student-produced project designed to develop that student's talents, interests, and skills. The emphasis is on achievement and completing a finished product that is either presented or displayed publicly in a polished, masterful way. Mastery projects may include academic research papers, visual and performing arts projects or performances, special teaching units, and physical projects.
Thank you for joining us for the Alumni & Friends baseball, lacrosse, and soccer games this past Saturday! It was a fun day of friendly competition, school spirit, and reconnecting with the WFS community—whether you were back on the field or cheering from the sidelines.
We hope you'll stop by campus to catch a game or say hello next year!
So much laughter and fun (for the grown ups, too!) at this week's lower school field days. Bring on summer! For more photos, visit our Smugmug page (password can be found in the Friends on Friday message). Photos courtesy of WFS Yearbook
For Mental Health Awareness Month, middle and upper school students answered the question "How will you take care of your wellness this summer?" The Quaker Cares committee then created a vision board with the many responses!
Celebrations for the Class of 2025 have begun, and last night was Senior Exploration Night, where members of the Class of 2025 presented the projects they’ve been working on for the last month.
Our final Lower School Culture Quest was a celebration of Juneteenth! Students explored the significance of Juneteenth through hands-on activities, music, food, and arts and crafts. It was a fun and meaningful way to learn about and honor this important day!
We wrapped up our spring concert series today with a preschool "informance," where our youngest students showcased their singing, dancing, and instrument playing!
One of our most beloved spring traditions...the middle school 5K! Costumed students (everything from the cast of Scooby Doo to famous athletes) walked and ran the Alapocas neighborhood all to benefit a good cause.
L-T Alleyne '26 sparked a chain of kindness in our upper school with a simple idea: write a thoughtful note to someone you don’t usually talk to—and pass it on. Thanks to everyone who took part, this sweet gesture made its way through our community, one kind message at a time.
Our Pre-K students took the stage last week with their performance of "Zog and the Flying Doctors" by Julia Donaldson! Each spring, pre-kindergarteners put on a play to celebrate how much they have grown since September. From choosing their own roles to working as a team, our young performers showed that you're never too small to be part of something big.
We’re proud to share that WFS middle school Chinese teacher Jianglin Shi recently attended the 2025 Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA) Annual Conference in New York City. Jianglin co-presented a session titled "Gamifying the Chinese Program With AI-Enhanced Learning and Hands-On Games," highlighting innovative approaches to language instruction!
Statement of Nondiscrimination as to Student Enrollment
Wilmington Friends School admits students of any race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of these schools. Wilmington Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.