CHARLES MARTINEZ, SR.

Today we are here to celebrate the life of Charles Martinez, Sr. He was born on a Saturday in April 1938 to the late Vicente and Mary Martinez. He did not have a middle name, but some have called him Charlie or Carlito. Charles attended New York City public schools with his older brother, Vicente Martinez, Jr., and his little sister, Gladys Martinez. At Central Commercial High School, he met the mother of his six children, Henrietta V. Roper (1936–2004). Together they had Linda (1956–1996), Stephanie, Charles Jr., Troy, Stacie, and Erica. He explained one day that he was nervous when he found out that he would be a father in 1956. He went to his older brother and asked him for advice. He and his brother decided to join the military. Charles became a Marine, and this decision was the beginning of several opportunities that would benefit his future. According to his DD-214, Charles entered the Marine Corps on June 30, 1956. He was stationed in North Carolina at Camp Lejeune, where he served two years, nine months, and 17 days. He was honorably discharged on April 17, 1959. While in the Marine Corps, Charles brought his wife and daughter to live with him on the base. Of course, he did not know the impact that being at this military base would have. What was important at the time was that he showed up for his family and that his years of service would provide a good start for their lives. After he was discharged, the family moved into the new Castle Hill Houses in the Bronx. As the family grew, he agreed that it was time to find more room for his family to spread out. He used his military mortgage benefits to purchase his first home in Nassau County, Long Island. This home provided enough room in a suburban area for his six children to grow. When he was in the Marines, Charles continued his studies in bookkeeping. He also became a weightlifter and a boxer. This seemed to be a Martinez tradition, as his brother, son, and nephews were also weightlifters and/or boxers. When he moved to Long Island, he could be found in the weight room at Kennedy Park lifting weights and working out with Charles Jr. His wife was a stay-at-home mom, and he worked several jobs to provide for his family. These positions included working for H&R Block, the U.S. Postal Service, a school bus driver, a taxi driver, and working for the NYC Dept. of Sanitation for over 20 years. He often held two jobs at a time. Even though work was a priority, he would take time out for some special occasions, like the drive-in theater, picnic lunches at a park, late-night driving tours around New York City, his children’s concerts, and graduations. Even though going to a regular diner was wonderful for him, he also enjoyed going to Beefsteak Charlie's for graduations, Friendly’s for lunch, and IHOP for breakfast, maybe, on his day off. Charles was a proud Puerto Rican. As much as he loved his heritage, he did not raise his children to speak Spanish. About 10 years ago, he was asked why his children did not grow up speaking Spanish. He explained that he spoke Spanish around his family in his youth, but when he took Spanish in high school, he realized that the Spanish he was speaking was improper. He said that when he started learning Spanish, he stopped speaking it for quite some time until he picked up the proper way to speak it. He also explained that, at the time his children were growing up, Spanish-speaking citizens were not always treated with respect. He said that he did not want this legacy to tarnish his children in any way. He once attended an eighth-grade parent/teacher conference night and spoke Spanish for the first time in his daughter’s presence with her Spanish teacher. The two of them made jokes that ended with laughter. Meanwhile, his daughter sat in the back of the classroom with her mouth on the desk in awe. Once he was more comfortable in his primary language, wherever he went, he would find someone who looked like they spoke Spanish and have a random conversation. This brought him great pleasure. He once took his daughters to a diner where it looked like the waiter was a Spanish speaker. He requested a specific Spanish dish, and the waiter had no idea what he was saying. Charles repeated himself several times in Spanish, and the waiter continued to reply in English, “We don’t have that dish.” By the early ’80s, Charles and his first wife had divorced. By the mid-80’s, he married Charline Herron and became a stepfather to Cheryl, Robert, Pam, and Walter, Jr. For over 40 years. Charles was raised Catholic, but later became a Christian. He became a student of his faith. He was well respected at Bethel Gospel Assembly, where he was often referred to as “Dad” by others who were not his children. He matriculated into a theology program, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. In the late 80’s, his first grandchild was born, and several more followed. They include Kevin, Brandon, Faith, Julius, Ashley, Johnson, and Joseph. He also has a great-grandchild, Kianni, with a second great-grandchild on the way. He loved them all. The year 1996 was a tough year for Charles. In this year, he lost his mother and his oldest daughter, Linda. The light of this year was the birth of his first granddaughter, Faith. After moving to Virginia and retiring from driving a school bus, he continued his studies and became a chaplain. He worked in a local hospital near his home in Hampton Roads. When he moved to Hampton, VA, he was again able to use his military benefits to purchase another home. Once Charles entered his golden years, working for a paycheck decreased, but working for the Lord increased. He continued with his Bible studies in English, Spanish, and Latin. He would often find ways to bring God into the conversation with strangers and people he knew. Over the past 10 years, he has loved to watch game shows, basketball, westerns, Blue Bloods, and the 700 Club. Charles Martinez, Sr. departed this life on Thursday, September 24, 2026. He is survived by his wife, Charline Martinez; his siblings; his children; stepchildren; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, and extended family who loved him. He was predeceased by both parents, his oldest daughter, Linda, and his first grandson, Kevin Jr.