Richard Martinez

Richard Martinez, husband of Kay (Keeney) Martinez, of York, died Tuesday at Manor Care South after complications from cardiac surgery. He was 77. He was born in Kent County, Texas, on April 27, 1936. His parents, Robert and Catharine (Flores) Martinez, children of Mexican immigrants who settled in West Texas, were ranchers near Rotan. He was the second oldest of Robert and Catharine’s 11 children. After leaving the University of Texas, he joined the U.S. Army, serving between 1958 and 1961. While in the service, he was assigned to the Army War College in Carlisle. He eventually settled in York, working for the former Bendix Co. as a chemist. He later worked in sales and marketing for several chemical companies, first for Lea Ronal and retiring from Dow Chemical in 2009. He had a wide variety of interests. In retirement, he rekindled his love for music and after researching digital recording and doing exercises to strengthen his voice, he recorded a number of songs that he shared with friends, family and whoever found it on YouTube. He read widely about history, politics and other topics that interested him. He was a brilliant man with a sharp, incisive mind. He was curious about just about everything and when he would start learning about something, he wouldn’t stop until he knew pretty much all there was to know. He was able to look at things, whether it was politics or history, from different angles and come up with original conclusions. He had been writing a historical novel, based on his family and upbringing in rural Texas, a work that he had planned to complete as he recovered from surgery. He was also planning, once his book was finished, returning to art – he drew and painted when he was younger – and painting. He was an optimist, a happy person who loved life and all of its possibilities. He loved his family more than anything. He and Kay marked their 41st wedding anniversary on Jan. 15. Very little made him happier than sitting around the table with his family and enjoying a good dinner. He is survived by three children, Anna “Cine” Katrina Martinez-Argento, and her husband, Mike, of York; Adam K. Martinez, and his wife, Kimberly Janey-Martinez, of Savannah, Ga., and Andrew R. Martinez, of York; two grandchildren, Anthony Argento, of Hanover, and William Janey-Martinez, of Savannah; nine siblings, Marie Fowler, of Austin; Joe Martinez, of Dallas; Catharine Fretz, of Collegeville, Pa.; John Martinez, of Wichita Falls, Tx.; Fred Martinez, of Lake Jackson, Texas; Maurice Martinez, of Abilene; Monica Morgan, of Dallas; Delila Rains, of Pittsburgh, and Margaret Mary Martinez, of Abilene. A brother, Dr. Robert Martinez, preceded him in death. The service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Life Tributes by Olewiler & Heffner Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Inc., 35 Gotham Place, Red Lion, with visitation an hour before the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the SPCA of York County, 3159 Susquehanna Trail, York, Pa., 17406.