Jose "Benny" Martinez

JOSE BENITO “BENNY” MARTINEZ McALLEN — Our father, Jose Benito “Benny” Martinez, has gone to be with the inspiration that governed his own life, Wednesday April 9, 2014, at Life Care North in McAllen. Our Heavenly Father who loves all his children more than they could possibly know and gives them what they need to feel safe and valuable. As a person, he was a modern day Renaissance man and diligent business owner who approached every task with a rare tenacity to complete it as perfectly as possible. He achieved both technical and creative understanding of all his interests and responsibilities making him a wise and affectionate patriarch and excel in his hobbies and work. As a businessman, he built houses and was the long time owner of Sep-Mart Communications in McAllen, and later JB Electronics. After retirement, he could not sit still and helped improve the communication systems of neighboring municipal fire and police stations. The only things that exceeded his expertise were his commitment to friendly service and a fair exchange. Everyone who grew to know our father discovered his talent for fixing just about anything. As our Dad, he never let us down, brought us presents whenever he returned from a job out of town, and made sure our accomplishments or young milestones were met with an entire family celebration. In public, he would inform strangers who we were to him with an exuberance and silliness that could belie his true intelligence, but our lives were forever impressed that he embodied his own personal trinity of musician, writer and quite literally the greatest handyman in the world. Born in McAllen, Texas in 1932, he grew up on his father’s farm and ended his formal education after the eighth grade. Through correspondence courses, he became a ham radio operator and acquired the airwave moniker and call sign of K5SUV. For many years, anyone could find our home by the 50-foot radio tower erected in the corner of our backyard. When he was a young altar boy at St. Margaret’s in Pharr, Texas, he was befriended by Father Jose “Happy” Azpiazu. The two dedicated much of their life to increasing the devotion of Our Lady in South Texas as a genuine instrument of intercession and forgiveness within the Holy Roman Catholic Church. To this day, thousands of devout Catholics travel to the Basilica of Our Lady Del Valle National Shrine, in San Juan, Texas which stands as testimony to their vision and Faith. During this time, our father further developed his knowledge of radio communications and honed his impeccable vocal delivery while scripting radio broadcasts that were heard throughout Texas via thirteen sponsors. He served on the board of directors of the Shrine for eight years. While a soldier stationed in Germany during peacetime, his commanding officer wrote a letter of appreciation to our father dated 1955 that praised his “resourcefulness” and “attention to detail.” His C.O. also called him a “first rate mechanic” and was amazed that our father also served as the battalion photographer and contributed his religious and musical training to services. Another little known fact about our father was that he was also the battalion’s best marksman and became a firearms expert. Proudly, our father mounted his honorable discharge from the army on the wall of his office the way a professional would mount his diploma. After being home-schooled in Latin, Spanish and music by Father Azpiazu, he believed our father had the soul of a priest and taught him accordingly but a different plan prevailed. Our father met our mother Oralia Ramirez and they married in 1956. Bound together by their faith, the two always acted as a single entity but with a clear, unspoken division of labor. His single greatest purpose in life was taking care of her and he enjoyed surprising her whenever he could. We all remember the funny time he even got her to ride with him on the back of his motorcycle. Most important, he told us many times that she worked even harder than he did. Perhaps the greatest gift we inherited from our father is a love of music. Music was the perfect medium for our father’s discipline and appreciation for life. Endowed with perfect pitch and a tenor voice, he taught himself to sight read vocal music and could play several instruments. Congregations for over sixty years remember our father playing the organ and singing as a soloist or within the choir. He also sang first tenor with Men of a Chord barbershop style quartet which he enjoyed immensely. In our home, music and laughter were the primary sounds thanks to our father. Since our father had a particular warm heart for children, we were twice blessed when the awareness of our own children grew to understand that their grandfather was an extraordinary man. He loved pralines-n-cream flavored ice cream, shrimp, Placido Domingo, Peter Sellers movies, coin collecting and gun collecting. When he came home he would always cheerfully call out “I’m here, I’m here”, and he produced a distinctive whistle whenever he worked with his hands. He also had a tremendous aptitude for learning languages so that when he traveled in Europe, he could pass himself off as a local to avoid inflated prices reserved for tourists. In this financially driven world, our father would distinguish himself by saying that he owned his house, that he had always owned his house and no one could take it from him. That statement is true both in the literal sense and in a figurative one. Our father taught us that the true wealth of friends, peace of mind and a thriving spirit comes from giving and sacrifice and nothing else. We thank our Heavenly Father for allowing such a special man to be our dad. Jose Benito Martinez is preceded in death by his parents, Benito Martinez and Isabel Sepulveda Martinez; two brother’s Concepcion “Concho” and Mario Martinez; his mentor and best friend Father Jose “Happy” Azpiazu; and a son-in-law Robert Maldonado. He is survived by his adoring wife of 57 years Oralia Ramirez Martinez; eight children, Joey (Adriana) Martinez, Tony (Lezith) Martinez, Chuck (Lora) Martinez, Danny (Dolores) Martinez, Angie Maldonado, Patty Lyda, Christy (Curt) Andrews and Maggie (Chris) Baker; 14 grandchildren Vanessa Heck, Alexis (Chase) Mansell, Selina Maldonado, Scott (Laura) Andrews, Elizabeth (Billy) Kearns, Andie Garza, Kevin Garza, Maddy Garza, Elijah Martinez, Catherine Martinez, Rebekah Martinez, Mia Martinez, Brandon Garza and Sabrina Martinez; four great-grandchildren, Harry Heck, Preston Heck, Vincent Mansell and Elise Mansell. A rosary was held Monday, April 14, 2014, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Funeral mass will take place at 10 a.m. today, April 15, 2014, at Our Lady of Sorrows in McAllen. Interment will follow at Valley Memorial Gardens in McAllen. Military honors will be conducted by the VFW Post 8788 of McAllen. Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.