Apollonio Theodoro Martinez

Apollonio Theodoro "Paul" Martinez, age 72 of Espanola, NM passed away suddenly on Saturday October 17, 2020. Paul was born in Embudo on February 19, 1948, but he mostly grew up in Vadito.

He is preceded in death by his father, Noe Martinez, and his brother, Albert Martinez. He is survived by his mother Priscilla Martinez, brother Isaac Martinez (Josephine Martinez), wife Dolores Martinez (married 44 years), son Stephen Martinez (Cassandra Bowman), daughter Alyssa Martinez (Christopher Voss), sister-in-law Dolores Martinez, many nieces and nephews, and his beloved corgis, Merlin and Xena.

Paul proudly served in the United States Marine Corps where he achieved the rank of Sergeant. He later worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory as an Engineering Technician. After retirement, and because he loved reading, he volunteered at the Espanola Public Library. He was President of The Friends of the Library, where he ran a weekly book sale for several years,

He had many hobbies. He loved gardening and took pride in growing both food and flowers. He also enjoyed carpentry, and was always building or fixing something, every morning, Paul started his day by walking his dogs. Then, every afternoon, he enjoyed watching old westerns. Most memorably, every night before bed, he played his guitar. He enjoyed old country and Spanish music. Paul was very artistic and creative, while also being scientifically minded. He had a playful sense of humor and was always playing silly pranks on people.

He was a very caring and responsible person. He always tried to do the right thing, even if the right thing was more difficult. He would drop everything to help someone fix something. He taught his kids what it truly means to have an intrinsic sense of integrity, and to appreciate every single gift that life provides every day. His ability to find solutions to any problem will be greatly missed. Paul was altruistic, deeply caring and full of love for life. He was grateful for everything. He saw every day as an opportunity to learn and try something new. In turn, he loved teaching about all the things he knew, and always made time for people. Paul possessed an inner strength of character which meant that he had the utmost confidence in people. He was kind. His dogs were a part of his presence, and they meant the world to him. He was a friend to all animals, big and small. Paul will be greatly missed. The lives he influenced were made brighter and more beautiful for having known him.

A rosary will be held at 5:00 p.m. on October 30, 2020 in the Sangre de Cristo Chapel of DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory.  A memorial service will be held at a later date when it is safe to do so. The family of Apollonio Theodoro “Paul” Martinez has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Espanola Valley. 505-747-7477-www.devargasfuneral.com