Lydia Martinez Muniz

Daughter. Sister. Wife. Mother. Friend.

How do you truly encapsulate the breadth and depth of a person's life in the few paragraphs an obituary affords? One simply can't. In her honor, here are just a few of the vibrant chapters of Lydia Martinez Muniz, a beautiful force of nature born on December 11, 1939 and who, like the setting winter sun, passed away peacefully on February 27, 2024 after a valiant 16-year battle with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

The third of 13 children, Lydia was born in Tank Hollow, Texas to Inez and Roy Martinez Sr. Lydia always referred to herself as "a country girl" yet dreamed of seeing and experiencing the world beyond Atascosa County. Her parents encouraged her to pursue her education, sports, and social engagements, which she did. She excelled in academics and sports, participated in student council, talent shows & plays, and loved music, singing, and dancing. In the late 1950s, Lydia would drive a flatbed pickup truck into San Antonio with her older brother Roy Jr. to attend dances. She was always the life of the party; her laugh and smile were infectious. After graduating from Poteet High in 1957, Lydia attended and completed her Associates Degree at San Antonio Community College, where she met Roy Cuevas Muniz, her husband of 64 years. After getting married February 17, 1960, Lydia and Roy lived in Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Lydia and Roy had 5 children: 3 boys & 2 girls. Lydia vacationed and worked throughout the US (including Hawaii & Alaska), Mexico, Spain, Morocco, France, and England. But her favorite destination was her parents family farm in Poteet, Texas. She would pack the station wagon with kids, her kids' friends, and her own friends to spend long Sundays walking the farm with her mother Nessie, watering plants, visiting with family and friends, and enjoying the sounds of peacocks and guinea fowl. She deeply loved her parents, her family, friends, siblings, and neighbors. If you knew her, you knew she cared about you. Lydia was a woman of many talents, from the domestic to the professional. She was incredibly supportive of her kids' academics and social pursuits, and was actively involved in their schools, often substitute taught and eventually became PTA President. As her kids got older, Lydia pursued her own professional interests, including becoming a registered dietician, realtor, actor (she worked in regional and national tv commercials and radio ads), and, for over 10 years, was a traveling translator for the FBI and DEA.

Lydia LOVED nature and surrounded herself with plants & wildflowers, and always found ways to encourage habitats for birds, butterflies, and bees. She loved a good cup of coffee with friends and if she heard you were sick, you could expect some homemade soup. She could feed an army of kids one day, make herself an evening gown the next, and still find time to write a letter to a city councilman to do a better job on serving constituents. The chapter of Lydia you experienced may sound similar. Or completely different. And that's okay, because whatever the experience was for you, was true. She loved deeply and was loved by so very many. She will be missed. Lydia is preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Roy Jr, Ernest, Charlie and Emilio Martinez.

She is survived by her husband of sixty-four years, their five children, spouses and grandchildren. Her eight younger siblings, Florinda "Flo" Martinez Lambaria, and brothers Arthur, John, Ruben, Armand, Eddie, Rene, and Robert Martinez. There are also many nephews, nieces, cousins and countless friends. Her favorite charity was St. Jude Children's Hospital and donations made in her name are welcomed.

Visitation will be at Puente and Sons Funeral Chapel at 3520 S. Flores, San Antonio,Texas 78204, March 8th 2024 from 4-8 pm. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 pm. The funeral mass will be held at 10:00 am at St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in Poteet,Texas 78065 on March 9th 2024 followed by the graveside service and burial at the Roy Martinez Family Cemetery on FM 476 West, Poteet, Texas.