Mary Jane Griffin Martens

Mary Jane Griffin Martens went home to be with the Lord on December 9, 2014. Mary Jane was born on January 31, 1923 in El Paso, TX. She was preceded in death by her mother, Marie Elizabeth Griffin; her father, James Michael Griffin; her sister, Katherine; and her husband, Kenneth Arthur Martens. She is survived by her sister, Patricia Halet of San Antonio; her daughters, Joan Marie Eden of San Antonio, and Judith Ann Staples of Houston; her son, Michael Griffin Martens of San Antonio; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and her earthly angel, Gloria Martinez.

It is said that the important part of life is how you live in "the dash," the punctuation mark between the dates of birth and death. Mary Jane lived her "dash" to the fullest. Mary Jane and "K.A." were married in Honolulu on June 18, 1949. As the wife of an Air Force and CIA pilot, Mary Jane lived in such diverse places as Turkey, Thailand, Viet Nam, Taiwan, and Del Rio, TX; throughout her life, she enjoyed travel, making trips to such places as Russia and China even while in her 70s. Upon K.A.'s retirement, Mary Jane relocated to San Antonio but decorated her home with artifacts from her travels in the Orient; her annual Chinese New Year party was legendary. Mary Jane enjoyed people and parties, and had a tremendous zest for life!

After a career at Datapoint, Mary Jane began a new "career" during retirement as a volunteer at a number of San Antonio organizations. In 1988, Mary Jane answered an ad in the newspaper asking for volunteers at St. Luke's Hospital and was a faithful and cheerful volunteer for over a decade. She had a long-term relationship with the Witte Museum, where she served first as a docent and then later as a hostess for the Elderhostel program. Through these programs, Mary Jane touched the lives of both children and those over 55 from all over the United States, showing them the beauty of San Antonio. Additionally, Mary Jane was a long-time docent at the San Antonio Museum of Art; her docent activities at both the Witte and the Museum of Art required constant training to keep up with new exhibits. Mary Jane always delighted in learning about diverse cultures and was able to bring her personal experiences from her travels to many of the exhibits. Mary Jane also served as the Braun Station Neighborhood Association historian for more than 30 yrs, and rarely missed reunions of the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. Mary Jane's busy volunteer schedule allowed her to continue meeting new people, something she enjoyed doing all over the world. Mother, MJ, and Grams Bear, you have provided us all such a model of how to enjoy life, be a lifetime learner, and help others. We will miss you terribly, but know that you have reached the ultimate vacation destination. Bon voyage and cheers!

GRAVESIDE SERVICE

WEDNESDAY

DECEMBER 17, 2014

1:30 P.M.

FORT SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

1520 HARRY WURZBACH

Pallbearers will be Matthew Kenneth Eden, Mary Krisson Eden Jones, Kyle Owen Staples, Shawn Griffin Staples, Katy Marie Staples and Reid Arthur Martens.