St. Mary's grad, veteran loved education, sports

Remembered as dedicated, a loving father and a talented athlete, Jose Martinez had a strong belief in hard work and education that he passed down to his children.

He died March 29 from complications of diabetes. He was 76.

“We always called him the social butterfly, because he'd talk to all the neighbors,” said his wife, Norma Martinez. “He never met a stranger.”

Married in 1963, Martinez and his wife would have celebrated their 50th anniversary in August.

Since he was a center for the Brady High School football team, Martinez was known for his abilities as an athlete.

In 1955, he enlisted in the Air Force and became a boom operator, refueling aircraft in flight.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Martinez was on standby for possible retaliatory strikes should there be any attack launched by Fidel Castro. “They would wait day to day to see what happens,” his wife recalled.

Even in the military, Martinez maintained his love of sports, participating in handball, racquetball and volleyball tournaments in the various places he was stationed. Because he was ambidextrous, he often had a great advantage.

“He wouldn't be one to brag about it,” his son Mike Martinez said. “He was a pretty good player because he could hit with either hand.”

After 24 years in the military, Martinez enrolled at St. Mary's University and earned a bachelor's in education. A modest man, he didn't tell his family before the ceremony that he was to graduate magna cum laude.

”He was afraid that something would happen and they would say they made a mistake and had the wrong name,” his wife said.

Martinez's educational success encouraged his children to go to college.

“My husband and I always believed in education,” his wife said.

He became a teacher at Gus Garcia Middle School, and Norma Lee Martinez said he wanted to quit after midterms.

“Each time he told the principal, he would threaten to take away his teaching certificate,” she said, “so he would continue to teach, but each year after midterms he went to the principal and said he was going to quit.”

Martinez maintained his military connection via civil service as a shooting-range firearms instructor. He instructed officers how to fire and maintain weapons, from handguns to M-16s, and wrote training manuals.

He stayed a social butterfly, making many friends through clubs and his civil service work.

“I keep telling our sons we're blessed,” his wife said. “He's left us, but he left us with a lot of memories.”

jbeltran@express-news.net