Christina Olivia Martinez

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Christina Olivia Martinez, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her.

Christina was born on January 18, 1951 in Redding, California. She was the daughter of Reynaldo and Connie Olague. Raised in Rosemead, California, she was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Christina was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Christina was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Christina was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Christina also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Christina was raised with four siblings. She had one older sister Gloria, two younger sisters Melinda and Carmen and one younger brother Alfred. Christina was constantly involved in activities with her family. Christina and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Growing up, Christina was one of those children who didn’t need to be in the center of a whirlwind of activity. She was content to entertain herself. Christina was never pushy when it came to games and other activities, but rather, she was able to enjoy the pure fun these could bring. In just about everything she did as a child, Christina was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around her. Christina took part in a number of activities as a child. In her spare time she liked jump rope.

Christina enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Christina was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Christina was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. She graduated from Mark Keppel High School in 1969. Christina enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was Hospital 1 & 2. The teachers she enjoyed learning from the most were Mrs. Manetta and Mrs. Nesalhaus.

Most folks would say that Christina was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. Christina was reluctant to generalize about people, and she based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Christina best trusted those people that she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Christina kept. While growing up, some of her best friends were Cecilia Malemder and Candy Coburn. Later in life, she became friends with Lorraine Chavez, Brenda Nishida, Becky Mitchell and Collette.

Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Christina. Christina married Fernando Martinez in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was totally committed to Fernando and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Christina naturally sensed her spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Christina disliked conflict, she did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times.

Christina was a good mother to her children. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Christina was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Christina was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Christina was blessed with three children, two twin sons, Mark and Michael and one daughter Jeannette. They were also blessed with seven grandchildren, Jennifer, Justin, Vincent, Lilia, Vanessa, Brieanna and Alyssa.

While thorough and measured in her approach to things, Christina often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. She was like that with sports. She also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, she was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were baseball, golf, super bowl and tennis.

Due to her excellent organizational skills, Christina was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which she belonged. Christina could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. She was a team mom for baseball and football. Christina was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. In high school, Christina was a member of the Illutionette's.

Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Christina had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included trips to Puerta Vallarta, Guadalajara, Cancun and Ensenada.

Her family was rounded out by her Yorkie, Rodger. Christina was as loyal to her pets as they were to her.

Christina passed away on May 28, 2013 at home in West Covina, California. She is survived by her loving family. Services were held at Custer Christiansen Chapel.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Christina was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Christina was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Christina Martinez was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Christina. She will be missed.