John Louis Martinez

John Louis Martinez, Sr.
October 31, 1928 ~ December 13, 2017

John was born in, Ft. Worth, Texas where lived until 1946 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The youngest of two sons, John is preceded in death by his brother, Hector.

While enlisted, John achieved the rank of Quartermaster and was a recipient of a World War II Victory Medal. He often spoke of his travels through the South Pacific Region.

Towards the end of his enlistment, John was stationed in San Diego, CA, where he met a USO Hostess, Lorraine Rey, whom he would marry on August 19, 1950. On August 19, 2017, John and Lorraine celebrated sixty-seven years of married life and dancing together. John and Lorraine have two sons, John Louis, Jr. and James M. (Jim).

Post Navy, John explored various employment opportunities before being hired at Pacific Bell, eventually AT&T, where he worked for thirty-eight years as a Fleet Services Mechanic. John retired in 1990. Through Pacific Bell/AT&T, John became involved with the Pioneers, a telephone company sponsored community service organization.

One of John’s passions was being involved with various community service projects. For many years, John worked closely with the Blind community assisting with weekly games of Beep Ball and serving as chaperone for a variety of the events attended by the Blind. Truly, he enjoyed assisting the children and adults of the Blind community.

In later years, John would frequently don a McGruff The Crime Dog costume and visit schools with community service members of the San Diego Police Department for their Take A Bite Out of Crime campaign.

An avid bowler, John bowled in numerous leagues from the late 1970s until the Fall of 2014. Along the way he collected a commendable inventory of trophies and awards.

In 1960, John and Lorraine purchased what would become their first and only home. One of their first actions was to register as members of the Holy Spirit Parish. From 1960 until his health made it prohibitive, John was an active member of Holy Spirit. For several years, he was the school's playground monitor and volunteer Physical Education coach. John always involved himself in helping with parish events such as the annual carnival, Mexican Fiesta Dinners and weekly he served as an Usher at Sunday services.

Along with his wife, Lorraine, John is survived by sons: John, Jr. and his wife Sheila; Jim and his fiance’ Christine Labit. Sisters-In-Law: Joan Campbell and her husband Jim; Yvonne Sherman and her husband Les. John also leaves behind grandchildren and great-grandchildren whom he cherished with all of his heart: Dr. Michael Martinez, his wife, Sarah Megahed and their children, Khalil, Sami and Laiyla; Patricia (Martinez) Mautino and her husband Chief Petty Officer John Mautino and their son Aiden; Victoria Martinez and her husband Jim Gorsich. Family in Texas include cousins, nieces and nephews of the Auvenshine, Velasquez and Martinez families.