René Hugues Martinez

René was a kind, principled man who lived all aspects of his life guided by his values and faith. He was always generous to those in need with all he had to give. René was best defined by his immense love for both his immediate and extended family. Perhaps most notably, René was an unrelenting supporter of his wife in everything she did, right from the moment that they met on the dance floor of her senior prom. He was a truly committed father to all four of his children, driven by a deep desire to make each of their one and only childhoods as full of love and support as possible.

René was a talented designer and builder. Over four years, he completely renovated what became the family home for 27 years. René also was a steadfast supporter of Tulane, the Saints, and the Pelicans, and a beloved coach of basketball, baseball, and soccer at Carrollton Boosters for many years. After those games, he generously hosted swim parties and barbecues at the family home. Beyond that, he opened the family home to over a hundred people each Christmas Eve for a post-Mass gathering, and often hosted celebrations of important occasions for family and friends.

René was born on January 24, 1956. At the age of two, he emigrated with his parents from Oran, Algeria, to New Orleans, speaking only French.

René graduated from New Orleans Academy in 1974, where he made many lifelong friends. He obtained both a Bachelors (1978) and Masters (1979) in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. After graduation, he worked at Union Carbide Company. He soon decided to leave engineering to pursue his burgeoning interest in business, obtaining an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business (1986). Despite his time away, René chose to make his beloved New Orleans his lifelong home.

Straight out of business school, he showcased his entrepreneurial spirit by co-founding Legal Advantage, one of the first prepaid legal services companies in Louisiana. He then worked as a senior financial analyst at Freeport McMoran; CFO at McGlinchey Stafford & Mintz; and president & CEO at Optimum Affirmative Action Services. In 2003, he co-founded Pinnacle Affirmative Action Services, for which he served as president until 2017 when the business was sold.

René is survived by his wife, Judy Perry Martinez; children, Connor Martinez, Kyle Martinez, Carson Martinez, and Cameron Martinez; grandchildren, Cecilia Foster-Martinez and Harrison Martinez Weber; mother, Juliette Dubea; daughter-in-law, Madeline Foster-Martinez; and son-in-law, Calvin Weber. He is preceded in death by his father, Joseph Martinez; father-in-law, Alvin Perry, Sr.; and mother-in-law, Denise Perry.

He is also survived by his brothers-in-law, Al Perry, Rick Perry, and Rod Perry and their spouses, Peg Perry, Lisa Perry, and Cathy Perry, respectively, as well as beloved first cousins, many special nieces and nephews, their children, and many dear friends.

A Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Church, 6367 Saint Charles Ave. in New Orleans, on Friday, August 28, at 3:00 pm. Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in René’s memory to the Parkinson’s Foundation (https://www.parkinson.org) and New Orleans Mission (https://neworleansmission.org).

To view and sign the online guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com