Mary Ellen Martinet, age 59, passed away on February 9, 2020 in Aldie, VA. Mary Ellen was born March 13, 1960, in Montebello, California and resided in California where she became a graduate of California State University – Fullerton with a B.A. in Business Administration before moving to Virginia.
Marry Ellen is pre-deceased by her mother, Mercedes Martinet Munguie. She is survived by her father, Robert Martinet; brothers: Robert (Marina) Martinet, Alphonso (Michelle) Martinet, and Eugene (Margo) Edward Martinet; nieces: Emerald Mercedes Martinet, Maria Isabella Martinet, and Micaela Carolina Martinet; nephews: Robert Eugene Martinet, Christopher Arlen Martinet, and Joseph Humbert Martinet; her dearest friend from law school, Barni Rothman; her dear friend and colleague Jacqueline Nantier -Hopewell as well as her FEMA colleagues and family through the United States; and her two beloved Rag Doll Cats: Oliver and Precious.
Mary Ellen Martinet has been an attorney with the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since 1995 and was named Associate Chief Counsel for the Response and Recovery Legal Division (RRLD) in July 2010. RRLD provides legal counsel and support to the FEMA Office of Response and Recovery on Stafford Act disaster and emergency authorities. Ms. Martinet is also responsible for oversight of the FEMA Disaster Operations Legal Reference (DOLR). Prior to becoming the Associate Chief Counsel for RRLD, Ms Martinet served as the Associate Chief Counsel for Field Counsel (2007-2010) and was a senior field attorney for the Field Attorney Cadre.
Ms. Martinet served as the primary field attorney for the 1999 Hurricane Floyd Disaster, N.C.; the 2000 Cerro Grande Fires, NM; the 2001 World Trade Center Disaster NY; the 2002 Pacific Typhoons in Guam, CNMI, and FSM; the 2003 California Wildfires; and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina Disaster in Mississippi. Additional deployments include the 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle Emergency and the 2004 Florida Hurricanes. In all, Ms. Martinet has been deployed to over 50 disasters.
Honors and awards include 2001-2002 and 2006-2007 OCC Awards of Excellence, 2010 OCC Shirley Levy Award, 2011 Chief Counsel Award for Accessibility and Client Services, 2011 Administrators Team Award for Innovation 2013 and 2013 DHS Office of General Counsel Team Excellence Awards, 2016 FEMA Administrator Team Award; and the 2016 DHS Secretary Team Award for Meritorious Services for the Oglala Sioux Housing Mission. Before joining FEMA, Ms. Martinet worked for legal aid and immigrants’ rights groups in California. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law and is licensed in California.
The family welcomes flowers and/or memorial contributions can be made to the charities below:
