Frank Martinez
Obituary Reports the death of an individual, providing an account of the person’s life including their achievements, any controversies in which they were involved, and reminiscences by people who knew them.
It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Frank Martinez of White Plains on July 13.
Born Francisco Martinez Santamaria on Dec. 1, 1929, in Carracido, A Coruña, Spain, he was the elder son of Manuel and Manuela (Santamaria) Martinez. Frank was the second of six siblings who predeceased him: Amadora, Maria, Theodore, Maruja and Carmen.
Frank served in the Spanish Navy for two years before becoming 1st Engineer in the Spanish Merchant Marines. He would often speak fondly of his life at sea, especially those years which he spent on board with his brother, Theodore (Ted).
In 1959, following Ted, he emigrated to the United States where he fell in love with a country filled with opportunity. Upon making the decision to stay in the U.S., Frank changed careers and became an auto mechanic and ultimately worked for the City of White Plains for more than 20 years until his retirement.
In December 1962, Frank met the love of his life, Virginia Rodriguez, at a Christmas party at Casa Galicia in New York City. Both their families had plans to introduce them to other people that night, but once they met, they had no interest in meeting anyone else. That night was the beginning of a nearly 60-year love story in which they built a life together in a new country and lived their American dream.
Frank was an incredibly happy man who appreciated the simple things in life. He could often be found sitting at either the head of the kitchen table or outside in his favorite chair, enjoying a cup of coffee, a bowl of fruit and a newspaper while Virginia puttered in the kitchen. He was perfectly happy with routine and spending time in the home that he and his wife worked so hard to build and that he loved so much.
All who loved Frank looked up to his example as a loving family man and saw in him the example of integrity, patience and honor to which they should aspire. Nothing made Frank happier than being with his family, and weekly Wednesday night (and sometimes Sunday, too!) family dinners were the highlight of his week.
Frank was incredibly proud of his family and his heritage and was the keeper of the family history, sharing stories with his daughter, granddaughters and nephews, to keep those memories alive. In turn, we are all so proud to have known and loved him.
Frank (Papa) was a very special grandfather. After retiring, Frank became a part-time caregiver for his granddaughters, watching over them while their parents worked. Whether it was picking them up from school and driving them to various activities or just spending a quiet afternoon with them. Frank was always so happy to be a constant presence in their lives. His granddaughters fondly remember the small stash of cookies waiting for them on the front seat or a bowl of sugared strawberries on the kitchen counter prepared for when they got home.
As the years went by and after-school extracurriculars became full-time jobs, Papa continued to show his love for his granddaughters in little ways: greeting them with a big hug and kisses on both cheeks, holding and squeezing their hands as tight as he could, sharing stories with them, slipping them a few bucks, making sure they had gas in their cars and always waving goodbye from the front door as they drove away.
Frank is survived by his adoring wife, Virginia; daughter Melinda White (Steven) of Armonk; his two granddaughters, Christina White of New York City and Alyssa Carthy (Terence) of Armonk; his sister-in-law, Maria; and many beloved nephews and nieces.
The family received friends on July 17 at Beecher Flooks Funeral Home in Pleasantville. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 18 at The Church of St. Bernard in White Plains.
To express your condolences online or for further information, visit https://www.beecherflooksfh.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Reeve-Irvine Research Center for spinal cord injury research at www.reeve.uci.edu.
