David Martinez of Albany died peacefully on Saturday, July 24th. He was 75. Humorously, his expectation was that everyone in his life knew when his exact birthday was, quizzing people regularly. Simultaneously extending the joke and claiming that any day was his birthday, he was known to join others in their celebrations.
Born in Lordsburg, NM to Consuelo Elisa Mendoza Martinez, he moved to and grew up in Santa Maria, CA, where he graduated from high school in 1964.
After attending college for a bit, David landed a job with Lockheed Martin. Ever the hard worker, he quickly moved up to a supervisory position, overseeing the manufacturing of the vaunted Cold War spy plane, the SR-71 Blackbird.
Eventually, the desire to make his own way was too much to ignore and David decided to begin a construction company of his own, Martinez Construction, in Monterey, CA. After several successful years, David tired of the crowds in California and relocated his business and life to Eugene, OR in 1993.
Martinez Construction has built dozens of homes in the greater Eugene/Springfield area, completed a number of commercial projects, and continues to operate successfully throughout the Willamette Valley with the help of his friend and business partner, Leonard Lostrom.
Family and children were very important to David and a source of tremendous pride. He always claimed that family was his greatest legacy. In fact, David managed to pull off the feat of blending two families into one. After having two children earlier in life, he met Melanie and raised two more. Older sons, Dustin and Marty, were bragged about to friends and he took great pride in their successes. He relished teaching his younger children how to use tools and insisted they learn from his experiences.
Always ready with a sharp joke, David was the life of any social event. His storytelling was legendary and his quick wit was second to none. An avid classic car aficionado, David enjoyed going to car-cruises and was a longtime member of local car clubs. He loved fishing/boating and never let inclement weather keep him off the golf course. Making friends was easy for David and he often made lasting connections with people due to his memorable and gregarious personality.
On a personal level, David leaves a long lineage. He is survived by his wife Melanie; four children: Marty, Dustin, Katherine, and Mackenzie; five grandchildren: Alexis, Zackary, Cade, Samantha, and Max; great-grandson Maverick; and two sisters: Cordie and Denise. He was preceded in death by his brother Remy and his first wife Donna.
A celebration of David’s life will be held in pursuance of his wishes. He is greatly missed.
AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home handled the arrangements (www.aasum-dufour.com).
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