Mario R. Martinez

Mario R. Martinez, age 89, passed away September 16, 2022, at his daughter Lucia’s home surrounded by family and loved ones after a courageous battle with lung cancer and pneumonia requiring numerous hospitalizing treatments. He was born in Laredo, TX, January 18, 1933, son of the late Apolonio and Maria Martinez.

Mario, a devoted and loving husband, was united in marriage to Juanita Fuentes on September 18, 1947, in Laredo, TX until sadly going to eternal rest with the Lord just two days shy of their 75 th wedding anniversary. Juanita remembers the first time they met, she immediately knew, “Ese’ va ser para mi!”.

From a very young age, Mario developed a strong work ethic as he toiled picking cotton and other farm crops while also supporting the family trucking business delivering agricultural produce to San Antonio marketplaces. And later, transporting his own family as well as other migrant working families throughout the state of Texas and neighboring states following the various crop harvesting seasons.

In 1957, Mario made the difficult decision of moving his growing family up “north” in pursuit of better paying job opportunities first coming to northern Illinois before permanently settling in Racine, WI. He began fulfilling his dream of providing a decent life for his wife Juanita and kids by taking a job as a cast iron worker in a foundry in South Milwaukee. After which, he landed a more stable position as a tractor parts picker and truck driving transporter at J. I. Case. One of his most memorable days at work was when the company presented him with a brand new transporting truck he used for delivering tractor parts between factory facilities within the Racine area until happily retiring in 1992 after 31 years of service. He recounted the experience stating that his co-workers were as relieved as he was considering the old transport vehicle was so unsafe, the fork truck drivers hesitated to load it fearing the rickety truck would overturn under the combined weight of parts and front loader!

Mario loved playing baseball in his younger years and enjoyed watching western movies and TV sports like boxing matches, football and baseball games as well as attending live wrestling matches and Cubs versus Brewers baseball at Miller Park and American Family Field. He was a Cubs fan and I was fortunate enough to take him to a Cubs vs Brewers game at Wrigley Field once. Above all, his favorite pastime was dancing to country music with his dearest dancing partner, his wife Juanita, as they followed their favorite country band, the Pony Express, from one dancing venue after another. Mario also had a passion for purchasing and collecting antique type automobiles with a 1959 Cadillac Seville as his pride possession.

As a devoted father, Mario had no problem driving his youngest competing daughter, Eva, to her high school softball games and enjoyed attending his son’s softball games and bowling competitions. He, himself, experienced the game of bowling for a short period. He was supportive in most of his children’s endeavors within reason of course! He encouraged us all to pursue higher educations with the unselfish willingness to pay for it! As such, we are and will forever be grateful and thankful for everything he provided allowing us to stand on our own feet and we can only hope that we made him proud.

Mario will be dearly missed by his loving wife Juanita, his children, Rosemary Lopez, Rachel (Ireneo) Parra, Efrain (Janie) Martinez, Lucia Aranda, San Juanita Fontilea, Mario A. Martinez, Eva Martinez; grandchildren, Eulalio (Jackie) Arizola III, Ignacio Lopez, Arturo Lopez Jr., Anna (Rich) Parra, Sophia Yvette (Julio) Huarota, Mario Alonso (Ruth) Aranda Jr., David Aranda, Reymundo Aranda, Augustine DeLeon, Olivia DeLeon, Daniela DeLeon, Samson Fontilea, Chistopher Fontilea, David Prill Jr., Michael Prill, many great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews; brother-in-law, Roberto (Lorenza) Fuentes, sister-in-law, Julia (Reymundo) Martinez, and other relatives and friends.

Mario was a longtime member of St. Patrick’s parish and committed to his Catholic religion praying and reading passages written in Spanish from a book given to him by his daughter Lucia.

The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to the Compassus / Hospice staff and Deacon Paul for his support and spiritual guidance as well as the Ascension Cancer Center & Hospital for their wonderful treatment and care. A special thanks to Deacon Roberto Fuentes for his self-sacrificing participation in our father’s funeral celebration and the St. Patrick’s parish for their compassionate support in this difficult and challenging time for our family.

As a final acknowledgement, while Mario showed his children the gift of love during his lifetime, that love was in full display and returned tenfold when his daughter Lucia opened her home to both of her parents serving as a caregiver and provider right up to his final breath. Lucia continues to serve her mother Juanita in the same way to the present day which is a wonderful gift in of itself.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, September 23, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1100 Erie Street, with Rev. Jose Mario Nieto officiating and Deacon Roberto Fuentes assisting. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet with the family Friday at the church from 12:00 p.m. until time of Mass at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Patrick Catholic Church have been suggested.