Martha Godinez was born in Tijuana, Mexico on the 21st of June 1960, to Juan and Paula Godinez. It was the first day of Summer and if you had the privilege of knowing this amazing woman you will understand the poetic significance of such a day. For no other woman I know embodied the Summer like my Aunt Martha. Everywhere she went she brought the sunshine. It shone through her smile. It warmed your soul through her hugs and kisses. And it pushed out whatever darkness was troubling you on those special days you were lucky enough to spend some precious time with her. She came to the United States in 1965 and grew up in Los Angeles, California with her siblings. The young family eventually moved east and settled into the small community of Bassett, deep in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley.
It was there in Bassett, California where Martha would mature into the kind, beautiful and fun-loving woman we all knew so well. She made many friends, charming them with her infectious laughter and wild stories. Often adding her own spices to make them a little more interesting and a lot more memorable. She would develop many friendships that would last throughout her amazing life. She was a natural at expressing her concern for those whom she cared about and even extending concern and prayers for those whom she did not know. She was just all around a good person and ultimately, the Lord would bless her and her family with three more good persons in the form of three beautiful daughters; Paula, Denise and Christina. With the help of her family, she would raise these girls in an environment of love and security. Where they would learn how to stand up for themselves, cherish and protect their values, all the while showing them, through example, how to express unconditional love and generosity to each other and to the important people in their lives. Values that will surely live on for many generations to come. She was a incredible woman.
Martha, like most people here on Earth, was no stranger to struggle and hardship. But it was through this hardship that she would learn the power of her own strength. And it was through these struggles that she would come to understand the importance of faith in God and the obligation of showing others how to connect with this faith. This, I believe is why she was so easy to talk to. She'd probably, “Been there!” She gave the best advice because she'd probably, “Done that!” She had somewhat of an open door policy when it came to such things. You could talk to her about almost anything and she would listen with an open heart and an open mind. Now, she had her opinions and wasn't the least bit afraid to let you know what they were, often in the form of straight advice; a strong trait in the Godinez DNA. But when she was done with you, you felt loved, you had a plan and you believed in yourself. That was her way. Her energy was healing, loving and empowering. And that energy will truly be missed every day of our lives until we are reunited once again in the glorious presence of Our Creator. She was a spectacular woman.
Becoming a Grandmother was, in essence, the zenith of her joy in this life. She loved being a Nana, and family was the most important thing to her. Often doting on them and worrying about their safety and happiness as any good matriarch would. She had high hopes for her family but never demanded anything other than love and peace between them. Cringing at even the thought of a rift in her family she would tighten her jaw and pray while carrying on a conversation, “God, I hope they can work it out!” because she would say, “It's not worth it in the end.” And she was right because peace between family members is paramount. She taught us how to forgive. How to look past others faults and search for the true meaning behind the events and attitudes that led to the disagreement in the first place. She was a wonderful woman.
In the last years of her exciting life, she spent most of her time with her husband, Ed, whom she met while working in Irwindale, California. He's a good man with an understanding heart and an irreverent sense of humour. He provided for her a stability she had not known before and she provided a safe place for him to open up emotionally. She may have given him a hard time while taking care of him or by watching what he ate or by telling him to, “Can it!” when he rebelled against her advice. Oh, but they loved each other very much and could often be found enjoying each others company over dinner at one of their favourite restaurants or someplace new that they never tried before, provided they had icy-cold Cadillac Margaritas. Over which she would laugh and invite everyone to try from her plate. She was a generous woman.
On the 24th of February 2019, the spectacular, incredible light went out in my Aunt Martha's eyes and the incredible, generous warmth of her soul left us to be with the Lord. That evening, the summer sun that rose so proud and shone so brightly in all our lives had finally set. Leaving us all with the warmest of memories. And leaving our skies dark enough to witness the amazing fireworks we will all shoot off in our hearts to celebrate her life.
Martha will missed dearly and loved eternally by her 3 daughters, 6 stepchildren, her sons-in-law, her 23 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, her sisters, her nephew, her niece and the extended Godinez-Guerrero family, many of whom have come to pay their last respects today.
May God lend his grace to each of you, in this, our time of grief.
Read at Service by Nephew
Arthur Godinez Camargo
09 March 2019
