Virginia Margaret Martinez

Virginia grew up in Lakewood, New Jersey with her parents Peter and Violet. She attended Lakewood High School where she purportedly blew up the chem lab, portrayed Jane Eyre in the senior play, and was (not surprisingly) voted "Most Talkative". She also studied piano extensively at Georgian Court as well as playing clarinet in the school and local community bands. After graduating high school in 1954, she attended the University of Miami (The U!) and was the first woman to enroll as a Political Science major. After four years, in 1958, she earned her BA in Political Science with a minor in French and she won the award for the Outstanding Political Science student.

After college, she followed her mom, who worked for the US Navy as a civilian bookkeeper, across the country via Mississippi (where she was involved in her first of many political activities), to Chicago, finally landing in San Diego. She enrolled at San Diego State College and while earning her teaching credential she met Richard Brown and they were married. Her first son Kevin was born in 1961 and her second son Doug was born in 1962. She was lucky enough to be a stay at home mom with her sons for the first few years of their lives. Later, she returned to San Diego State College to pursue a second degree in English Literature where she met her second husband, Ryan Martinez. They welcomed a daughter, Meg, in 1970.

Virginia's teaching career took her from San Diego High (student teaching) to Montgomery High in San Diego to Kearney High to Chula Vista Adult School for many years until she successfully sued the Sweetwater Union High School District to honor her credential and transfer her to a 9-12 site. After her suit, she taught at Chula Vista Junior High for two years, then transferred to Sweetwater High School from 1983-1992 finally retiring from Hilltop High School in 2002. After retirement she became a docent for the San Diego Museum of Art and the Timken Museum, read voraciously, traveled, and was an amazing grandmother.

Virginia was an activist and a "voice for the voiceless" from the moment she first learned the meaning of injustice. She participated in integrating a "Whites Only" beach in Mississippi, walked the Vietnam picket lines with her young sons, boycotted grapes, Nestle, Coors, and most recently Walmart. She was extremely active in the Sweetwater Education Association, being awarded a WHO award for her outstanding leadership as a long time site representative, on the Board of Directors and as chair of the Bargaining Team. She was elected Teacher of the Year for the Sweetwater District in 1992. She began the Academic League and Decathlon Programs at Sweetwater High School. She also began a dynasty in the San Diego County Academic Decathlon and League while at Hilltop High School. Her teams represented San Diego County at the California State Decathlon at least 6 times. One of her favorite experiences was being selected to be on a delegation to China representing Hilltop. She walked on the Great Wall of China, saw the Terra Cotta Soldiers, and of course bought silk and jade. She also quickly learned the word "Gambei!" and earned the nickname "Beer Woman".

Virginia is survived by her children, Kevin and Christen Brown, Doug and Diane Brown, and Meg and Mauricio Garcia. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Gwendolyn, Liam, Marit, Cameron, Karley, Sabrina, and Ryan and her great-granddaughter Cora. Additionally, she is survived by countless students who called her "Mom" and her classroom "Home".

Virginia was a true lover of life. She was passionate, opinionated, supportive, accepting, welcoming, and could tell one hell of a good story. She reminds each of us to be true to ourselves and to love others. She reminds us to use our talents and to find our passions and pursue them.

Her favorite quote was:

"Leap and the net will appear!"

She leapt often and with much gusto. Let us follow her lead.