- Date Of Birth: April 5, 1961
- Date Of Death: January 18, 2022
- State: Arizona
Our beloved father, ‶Papa,″ brother, uncle, and friend, Eddie Ray Martinez, passed away suddenly but peacefully in his home on January 18th, 2022 at 60 years old. We take comfort in knowing he entered eternal rest with Jesus and is reunited with his wife Linda Martinez who passed away exactly one year and ten days prior.
Eddie was born on April 5th, 1961 in McNary, Arizona, which is part of the Apache Nation. He was the eighth of thirteen children, being born a few minutes before his fraternal twin, Irene. He was born to Frank and Helen (Montes) Martinez of Silver City, New Mexico. His parents spoke minimal English but, common to many in their generation, were proud to assimilate.
Eddie’s life was rooted in hard work. At age four, Eddie’s precocious business efforts were evident as he out hustled his siblings’ selling tamales on the streets. Later, he attended Blue Ridge High School but never graduated. Instead, at the age of fourteen, he pursued a vocational education with Ted Storms Tire’s, whotook him under his wing like a son. Eddie possessed a knack for working with his hands and the dedication and loyalty to succeed in business. He quickly developed into a local and nationally recognized salesman with a loyal customer base.
He married Victoria (Fuller) Renner in 1981 in Show-Low, Arizona while they were pregnant with their first child, Kristi. Their second child, Jacqueline, was born in 1984 and after having grown apart, they divorced in 1986. ‶Fast Eddie″ as he was nicknamed, remained in the Pinetop-Lakeside area, working in sales and as a mechanic at Ted Storms Tire’s. He loved racing his 1969 Roadrunner, arm wrestling, team roping, and chasing girls. He was proud of his full head of hair, a self-proclaimed jokester, and a terrible dancer but had a magnetic personality. The chase abruptly stopped in 1987 when he met the love of his life Linda (Jung) Martinez. They married in Lakeside, AZ in 1989. Eddie seized the opportunity to open up a Big-O-Tires station in Cottonwood, AZ in 1990. As the business grew, he bought a plot of land and subsequently built a beautiful home designed by Linda up on the mountain. Cottonwood has been their home for the last 31 years.
In 1990 and 1991 they were blessed with two beautiful children of their own, Amanda and Nichole. The family and businesses grew together. Joining with his brother Phil Martinez, they have developed three successful family-owned and operated Big-O-Tires franchises. Every daughter and most of their husbandsalong with many nieces, nephews and cousins have learned valuable lessons working in the shop over the years. Eddie’s son-in-law, Chris Ogden, currently runs the shop in Cottonwood.
