Octavio A. "Tony" Martinez's Obituary
Octavio A. “Tony” Martinez, born September 25, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, to Jose and Maria Martinez, passed away Thursday, December 18, 2025, in Houston, Texas.
Tony was preceded in death by his parents, Jose and Maria Martinez, his brothers and their wives, Cesar and Aurora Martinez, Henry and Nydia Martinez, Joe and Dolores Martinez, and his brother-in-law, Ralph Price (husband of Tony’s sister, Yolanda).
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mollie Janice Peek Martinez, daughter Gretchen Martinez Penny (husband Ken Penny), sons Paul Anthony Martinez (wife Liesl Anzoleaga Martinez) and Dean Anthony Martinez, along with grandchildren Leo Penny, Noah Penny, Luke Martinez and Clara Martinez, as well as his sister, Yolanda Price.
Tony was the youngest of 5 siblings and, while he was born in Chicago, he grew up in Beaumont, Texas, where he learned to love the outdoors, especially fishing along the Texas Gulf Coast. He loved to be outside and shared his love of the outdoors with his family, organizing and leading fishing, camping and wilderness hiking trips for them throughout California, Colorado, New Mexico and, of course, Texas. He especially enjoyed backpacking trips and was an avid mountain climber, summiting Mount Whitney (CA), Mount Elbert (CO), Longs Peak (CO) and Truchas Peak (NM), among others. He enjoyed playing tennis and was an active member of Lost Forest Raquet Club and the University Club for many years.
He attended Lamar University and graduated from The University of Texas, Austin, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering. During his time at UT, he designed what is now the State Seal of Texas! The state seal that you see today with a star set against a Columbia blue circle is his design and he was very proud of the plaque that described “The Martinez Art” in the rotunda of the Texas State Capitol. After leaving “The 40 Acres” of The University of Texas, he had a long and successful engineering career. He was a licensed professional engineer in Texas, Louisiana, California and Colorado. He and Janice always loved to travel, and at the end of his career his work took them to international destinations. They became expats, living in Caracas, Venezuela, Mexico City, Mexico, Jakarta, Indonesia, and other locations within those countries. He retired in Houston, Texas.
He loved spending time with his family, especially fishing and exploring the outdoors. Upon hearing of his passing, we are told the fish population in lakes and streams in North America and in the Gulf of Mexico breathed a collective sigh of relief.
A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026 at St. Anne Catholic Community, 2140 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77098, followed by a reception in the St. Theresa Room of the Parish Center.
Honored to serve as pallbearers are Tony’s sons, Paul Martinez and Dean Martinez, his son-in-law, Ken Penny, and his grandchildren, Clara Martinez, Luke Martinez, Noah Penny, and Leo Penny.
Donations in Tony’s memory may be made to the Charity Guild of Catholic Women, 1203 Lovett Blvd., Houston, TX, 77006, or the St. Anne Guild Scholarship Fund at St. Anne Catholic Church, 2140 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX, 77098.
The family wishes to thank Tony’s friends and the staff at St. Dominic Village, who took such great care of him and where he enjoyed living in 2025. He especially enjoyed singing in the church choir at St. Dominic’s. We also wish to thank the caregivers at Houston Hospice and The Buckingham Skilled Nursing Facility, who cared for him in his final days, which were so difficult.
What’s your fondest memory of Octavio?
What’s a lesson you learned from Octavio?
Share a story where Octavio's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Octavio you’ll never forget.
How did Octavio make you smile?