Name: Dopkins Reedley Funeral Chapel
Address: Reedley, CA

Tia Maria de la Luz Martinez Ibanez - your absence is deeply felt, a void never filled, yet your spirit lives on. Your kindness, your wisdom, your comforting embrace, leave an indelible mark, nothing can erase. A light from our family has passed on, a voice we loved is quiet and still, a place is vacant in our home that can never be filled. 
Tia Mary was born in Pharr, Texas and preceded in death by: her parents Nicolas and Silveria Martinez, husband Juan Ibanez (1998), infant sister Esperanza Martinez (1932), brother Odon E. Martinez (2002) and wife Carmen Martinez (2006), along with niece Maria Martinez (2010) and nephew Odon E. Martinez Jr. (2012).  She is survived by her nephew / son, Roberto Martinez (Vicki) of Edinburg, Texas and their children Roman and Gabrielle Martinez along with many other loving relatives in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and in Reedley, California areas. 
Dearest Aunt, without you there were many occasions and life achievements that I would have missed, things I could not have accomplished without your loving support. Special memories of you will always bring a smile, if only I could have you back for just a little while, then we could sit and talk again just like we used to do in days past. Tia Mary beautifully encapsulates the profound impact a devoted aunt can have on our lives. We live in the legacy of her love and grace. 

In Loving Memory, this poem titled "Aunt Mary's Smile" by John Thompson, pays homage and celebrates the memory of a vibrant and vivacious woman whose laughter and smile lit up our world:

    Aunt Mary's smile, a burst of light                           
    A radiant beacon through the night.
    In her embrace, we found solace,
    A love so pure, impossible to replace.
    Though tears now stream down our cheeks,
    Her laughter in our hearts still speaks.
    For Aunt Mary's smile will never fade,
    In memories, forever engraved.

Tia Mary Ibanez was the daughter of Silveria and Nicolas Martinez, and she and Uncle John Ibanez left South Texas for a better life in California.

She was a joy to visit, whether in Reedley or when she came back to her hometown of Pharr, TX.

She made all of our visits special, from planning a surprise birthday party for me or bringing home fresh fruit to teach us how to dry it and make gifts. Every year, she took us to watch the Reedley Fourth of July fireworks show and to bargain-hunt at the various swap meets around the Central Valley. Each weekend, she'd take us to rent movies and cartoons, and we'd have mini campouts in the den eating her favorite snack: pickles and popcorn. Now every time we go to the movies, we think of her when we eat pickles while sharing a giant bucket of popcorn. 

Though she had no children of her own, she was a loving aunt and madrina to many of us. She is survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews across the United States, and we'll miss her very much.

Ana Cristina Cantú, her great-niece, on behalf of the Cantú family of Pharr, TX, including her late cousin Margarita Martinez Cantú, her late nephew Ricardo Martinez Cantú, her niece Maria Margarita Cantú, her niece-in-law Juanita Rosales Cantú, and her great-niece Adriana Elisa Cantú

My beautiful Nina Mary. She was my second mom growing up.  She was so loved and will be missed. 🥰🌹 Give my Nino John  big hug for me. ❤️

OBITUARY

Maria Martinez Ibanez

March 28, 1931 – October 28, 2024

Dopkins Reedley Funeral Chapel

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