Joe was born on St Joseph’s Day (March 19th) 1926 and for St. Joseph, he was named. He was the eighth of nine children and the youngest son of Luz and Dolores (Castro) Martinez in Rockdale, TX. He grew up in a farming family and had to miss school whenever it was time to harvest crops. Fortunately, Joe was bright and would always catch up with his classmates in a fraction of the school year. Otherwise he told of many childhood adventures: chasing farm animals, getting in trouble with siblings, and driving trucks for his dad to deliver the produce they had grown. Because Joe grew up on a farm, he avoided throwing things away and became very creative in reusing and re-purposing most things during his entire life.
Joe was drafted into World War II before his 18th birthday. He served in the USN for approximately two years at a torpedo maintenance depot in the Mariana Islands, on the Island of Saipan. As much as this brought him due respect over the years, his memories of WWII were those of a humble teenager, obediently following orders, and making (and losing) friends along the way. Joe was not actually in the Battle of Saipan; however he worked to supply the ammunition and weapons for those who were. Joe was very proud to have served with officers he respected and sailors he admired.
Upon returning from WWII, Joe married Alicia Espinosa, and they established their home in San Antonio, TX. Joe and Alice raised four children, putting them through St. Mary Magdalen School, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, St. John’s Seminary, Central Catholic High School, Ursuline Academy, St. Mary’s University and/or Trinity University! Joe and Alice served in numerous school and scouting organizations and made countless sacrifices for the education of their children. Education is first the legacy of Joe and Alice.
Joe completed a 36 year civil service career at Kelly Air Force Base (San Antonio Air Logistics Center) in 1983. Often with his buddy (coworker) Manuel Casanova, Joe submitted and received more than 25 monetary awards for maintenance process improvements that the USAF accepted as established procedures. Joe loved working as an engineering technician on the B-52, C-5A, and F-15 aircraft. He especially enjoyed “fixing things that the engineers said could not be fixed.” In his later years, he came to summarize his job at Kelly as “taking whatever we were given and finding a way to make it a little better.” Dedication is another legacy of Joe’s.
Always industrious, Joe proceeded to work as a defense contractor for another four years to round out his time at Kelly to 40 years. He received additional awards for his contributions during this time. Concurrently, Joe opened a small produce shop on West Avenue (in San Antonio) to keep himself busy outside of work. We think he ate more produce than he sold, but he thoroughly enjoyed spending time there, sharing veteran stories with his father-in-law, Emmett Sales, giving free samples to customers, and helping the neighborhood kids fix their bicycles. Joe could carry on a conversation with anyone, and he would usually find a way to help them “because that’s what we’re supposed to do.” Kindness is another legacy of Joe’s.
In 1990, Joe and Alice left San Antonio and moved to the Dallas area to help care for grandchildren. This “second family” for them resulted in numerous friends at Prince of Peace Parish, where Joe and Alice volunteered regularly and enjoyed the company of the “Prime Timers.” Always the handyman, Joe was very proud of being able to help equip various parts of the school facility, especially the library which was dedicated in his name in 2010. Joe was particularly delighted by the fact that all three of the grandchildren he and Alice helped raise entered into military service. Joe wanted nothing more than for his kids and grandkids to be responsible adults, to be of service to others, and to work hard to make things better wherever they could. Service is another legacy Joe has left for us to carry on.
As Joe navigated his most senior years, he continued to make friends at his senior living community, assisted living community, and every care facility in which he resided. He was always described as the happiest, sweetest, and most grateful resident and neighbor. This positive and appreciative disposition which Joe modeled is the finishing coat on the legacy he has left us.
Joe is preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 67 years, and his siblings Antonio, Juan, Gregoria, Pedro, Benigno, Elvira, and Luisa. Joe is survived by his sister Isabel, his children, Joe Anthony Martinez, Ruben (and Gerriann) Martinez, Rick (and Carrie) Martinez, and Grace (and Milton) Gabaldon, eight grandchildren, and numerous nephews/nieces and great-nephews/nieces. For family and friends alike, whether we knew him as “Jose,” “Joe,” “Martinez,” “Dad,” “Uncle,” “Grandpa,” or “Pop,” we can take comfort in hearing his words: “you need anything, you call me,” for he remains very much with us and will continue to creatively find a way to help us. We’ll recognize his gentle hand whenever the solution that shows up is not the most elegant alternative, but it’ll work!
The family wishes to thank all caregivers, relatives, and friends who surrounded Joe with love, prayer, and care over his last years and months. We are forever grateful for your warm embrace of the gentlest soul we have ever known.
Funeral services will be held at Prince of Peace Parish on May 13, 2016 at 11:00 am with Vigil Service on Thursday, May 12th at 7:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Joseph School Library, Prince of Peace Catholic School, 5100 Plano Parkway, Plano, TX 75093.
Arrangements under the direction of Ted Dickey West Funeral Home, Dallas, TX.
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