Katie Martinez

It is with great sadness that the family of Catalina “Katie” Martinez (née Vasquez) announces her passing on May 27, 2025. She passed peacefully in her sleep at her residence Monrovia Gardens in Monrovia. Katie was 92 years old, born March 17, 1933, and married to her loving husband Richard (Dick/Lefty) Martinez on July 9, 1955, short of 70 years of marriage. She is survived by her husband Richard (Dick/Lefty) Martinez, three children Lynda Cross (Dan), Steven Martinez (Barbara Duggan), Mark Martinez (Jan), seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Katie was the daughter of Pedro and Trinidad Vasquez and one of five children – two sisters and two brothers; she survived all family members.

Katie was raised in the heart of L.A., where she shone brightly in the public school system, earning the prestigious American Legion Award at Lincoln High School as the top female graduate. A trailblazer, she juggled motherhood, a full-time teaching career, and studies, earning her Political Science degree from Cal State L.A. in 1975, followed by a Master’s in Counseling from Cal Lutheran University. As an L.A. City Schools teacher, she poured her heart into her students, pioneering one of the district’s first bilingual programs. Her classroom was a place of warmth, learning, and laughter, and her students adored her for it.

Katie was beloved by the Arcadia community, a resident of almost 50 years, where her energy spilled into everything she did. Her hospitality was legendary, where the family home was a revolving door of love, welcoming exchange students from around the globe and anyone who needed a seat at her table. She volunteered tirelessly with Partners in Rotary for over 25 years, where she organized and led a committee which clothed, fed and provided resources for hundreds of children in orphanages throughout Baja, Mexico. She also served as Club Secretary for the Assistance League of Arcadia, where she helped provide clothing and book supplies to underprivileged children here in the San Gabriel Valley. She even volunteered her administrative talents for the Arcadia Fire Department. Katie loved to dance and travel. She never met a dance floor she didn’t like, and you name the country, Katie and Richard probably went there.

A funeral mass will be held on June 17, 2025 at Holy Angels Catholic Church 370 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007 at 10:00am, followed by a burial service at Forest Lawn 21300 Via Verde Drive Covina, CA 91724.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to the existing Katie Martinez scholarship fund, established and managed by the Arcadia Rotary Club. Checks can be made payable to and mailed as follows:

Arcadia Rotary Foundation

P.O. Box 660638

Arcadia, CA 91066

**In the memo/comment section of your check, please write "Katie Martinez scholarship fund"