Ramon Sanchez Martinez, (born Martin), loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, went to his heavenly reward on February 22, 2019.
He was born on a ranch in Tepatitlan, Mexico in 1929 and in 1946 he joined the US bracero program and came to work in California. He moved around as needed until he finally gained permanent work for the Irvine Company picking citrus in Orange County where he met and married our mother Leocadia Briones.
In 1958, he joined the Labors’ Union and did anything that was asked of him. He was very intelligent and had no problem learning many jobs that were given to him. He made many friends working in construction as he had a very likeable personality and was easy to get along with. He remembered those days fondly.
He enjoyed working outside in his yard and was a very good gardener with a very green thumb. His love for raising animals of all kinds brought him back to when he was living on his father’s ranch which he truly loved and missed dearly. In the 1960’s he decided to breed parakeets and the ‘Bird Man of Santa Ana’ was born. He could breed any type of bird you could think of and he loved it immensely.
His great joy were his grandchildren whom he called his ‘Rascals’ and continued that term of endearment with his great-grandchildren who all made his face light up every time they would visit him.
He is a great man and will be missed greatly by his children, Marcella Maurer, Ramona Wallace, John Martinez and Dolores Martinez, and his present wife Maria Cruz Martinez. He was predeceased by his daughter Cecelia Martinez.
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