Richard Torres Martinez

On Saturday, October 29, 2022, Richard Torres Martinez, passed away peacefully at his home in La Verne, California at the age of 74.


Richard was born in Big Spring, Texas on February 7, 1948, to Antonio and Josefa Martinez. The third of five children, Richard or "Calo" as he was lovingly known to so many family-members and friends, graduated from Big Spring High School in 1968. Richard spent his young adult years working for various companies in his hometown of Big Spring and it was there that he began to develop a personal work ethic that was second to none. Although Richard took great pride in his work and was adamant about always being on time (early) and prepared, he was also fiercely adamant about enjoying the fruits of his labor, living life to its fullest, dancing to his heart's content, and having a good time wherever he was.


While going quietly about his business in Big Spring and finding time here and there to spoil his mom with some of those fruits of his labor, Richard one day finally met the woman he had been waiting to settle down with, Alice Guzman Fierro. Alice was in town from Los Angeles, California visiting family and soon found herself making regular trips to Big Spring in order to spend time with Richard/Calo. After several years of courtship and taking turns flying back and forth to visit each other Richard decided to make the biggest move of his life and relocate himself to Los Angeles in August of 1974 so that he and Alice could be together. Less than a year later Richard and Alice would exchange vows and get married on June 14, 1975.


Shortly after moving to California and getting married Richard would get hired as a maintenance mechanic for Dolco Packaging Corporation in Pico Rivera, California. Richard would spend the next 17 years with Dolco Packaging and only stopped working for the company when the company relocated to Seattle, Washington. With Dolco relocating to Seattle and a wife and two sons to help provide for Richard immediately secured employment with Tropicana Juices, Incorporated in the City of Industry, California. Richard would remain with Tropicana for 20 years all the way up until his hard-earned retirement in March of 2011.


As previously noted, Richard had a passion for life and having a good time. All that knew him knew that Richard was fond of Tejano music, traveling, dancing, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although fond of all these things there was nothing more important to Richard than his wife, Alice and their two sons, Richard and Erick. Richard gave everything he had to his family and sacrificed all his free time to make sure they had what they needed. Richard spent his life making sure that his sons were taught how to be polite, considerate, hard-working men that treated everyone with courtesy and respect. In his later years, Richard's family expanded and he found himself now also enjoying time with his daughter-in-law, Denisse and his three grandsons, Austin, Christian, and Aiden (guerito). On weekends Richard could be found at his sons' houses helping with projects or working on their yards, at the park watching his grandsons play sports, at a Dodgers game, or at a local restaurant with his wife sharing a meal and striking up light-hearted conversations with complete strangers.


Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Antonio and Josefa Martinez. He is survived and will be painfully and forever missed by his wife of 47 years, Alice, two sons Richard and Erick, daughter-in-law Denisse Salazar, three grandsons Austin, Christian, and Aiden, four siblings Frank Martinez (Grace) of Austin, Texas, Lupe Gutierrez and Tony Martinez of Big Spring, Texas, Felix Martinez of San Antonio, Texas, and many other family-members and friends.