Email from Mary Farley - April 3, 2022
Joe (Martinez) loved to feed people. He wanted to make a business of catering, but more importantly, he wanted to have people share good food and each other's company. He worked hard to make things fun.
Growing his own food was a source of pride. His beans were abundant and delicious. His Roma tomatoes tasted better than any that you could buy at the store, and they were HUGE. He and I shared their seeds until he got his greenhouse where his early starts grew into enormous vines. He and Jean shared the tomatoes and burpless cucumbers with the senior center and food banks. His grass always looked better than anyone else's in the neighborhood. He caught some incredible fish in Alaska and grilled it to perfection.
I have never seen Begonias like the ones he grew. Jean brought a basket of the blooms to a performance at the Paramount theater when she and I and (?) Kay were seeing a performance. I don't remember what the show was but I remember having her put the blooms on the railing of the balcony where we were sitting so we could see how big and beautiful they were. Our seats were in the first row of the balcony and every person that came by after intermission marveled at their size and color and variety. Walking to Joe and Jean's front door was a sensual pleasure of sight and fragrance, even in the wintertime.
We had an annual trip to the tulip fields with Joe and Jean. The color of the blooms, the wonder of the mountains, and the fields felt like praying. He chased a wide brimmed hat that I was wearing after a gust of wind blew it into a field. It was not easy for him to retrieve it because he was having trouble with his back. Ever a knight in shining armor, he bowed as he handed it back to me.
I watched him singing as a clown in The Pirates of Penzance. He came bouncing up to my Dad and MaryAnn with the biggest grin on his face after the performance. He had a lovely baritone voice and enjoyed singing with friends or to Jean.
Hearing his adventures as a Boeing employee were like listening to the history of Boeing. He was a great guide at the Museum of Flight. He was a loyal fan of the Mariners and of the Seahawks. In fact, he was loyal to his friends, his religion, and his community
He is so proud of his children. He told me about their triumphs, their jobs, and their children. His trips to Denver were so important to him. He saw his mother and cousins and told me about his boyhood memories.
That's how I know Joe: family, friends, food and memories.
