Theresa Jo Martinez

On Saturday, December 17, 2016, Theresa (T.J.) Ponsetti Martinez, age 57, gave her last earthly gift as an organ donor. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 from 6:00-8:00p.m. at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory St., Abilene. Funeral services will be 10:00a.m., Thursday December 22, 2016 at the funeral home.

Born Theresa Jo Ponsetti, January 30, 1959, in Odessa, Texas, to Timothy Byron Ponsetti and June Fleishmann Ponsetti. She married Paul Martinez on June 22, 2013 in Abilene. In three short years many memories were created, their senses of humor seemed to be the catalyst for their devotion of one another. Theresa was the laughter in the room, she filled the room with her personality the minute she entered, her work with special needs children and young adults was her life passion, yet she still had enough love in her huge heart for Paul; her children; grandchildren; and family members. Theresa was preceded in death by her father, Timothy Ponsetti; stepdaughter, Angel Martinez; and grandparents. She is survived by her husband, Paul; children, Ray Hanusch, Raymond Olveda, Hondo Savala, and Yolanda Valencia; grandchildren, Raymond Olveda Jr., Stephen Olveda, Nicholas Savala, Jaela Brazeal, Haela Valencia and Lilian Mallard; her mother, June Ponsetti of San Angelo, Texas; siblings, Cyndy Ponsetti-Reed of La Grange, Texas, Toni and Artie Rodriguez of Odessa, Texas, Tim and Pam Ponsetti of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Steve Ponsetti and Martha Leyva of San Angelo, Texas, Trish and Conrad Lopez of San Angelo, Texas, Robert and Dianne Ponsetti of San Angelo, Texas, and John Paul Ponsetti and Cathlynne of Penn Yan, New York; aunt, Pat Hill of Benton, Illinois; numerous nieces and nephews; mother-in-law, Felipa Martinez; sister-in-law, Debbie and Pat McCoy of Houston, Texas; brother-in-law, Richard and Sylvia Martinez and family of Abilene, Texas; and too numerous a number of friends to name. Donations can be made to: Make-A-Wish Foundation of West Texas, P.O. Box 14988, Odessa, Texas 79768 or to Autism Speaks, 1060 State Road, 2nd Floor, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 or by ECard at www.AutismSpeaks.org.