Higinia (Jean) Martinez

Higinia (Jean) Martinez, 80, passed away on November 16, 2023, surrounded by family. 

Jean is preceded in death by her parents Felix and Magdalena Griego, brothers Tony, Ben, Octaviano, Herminio, and Felix, as well as sisters, Amelia, Dora, and Carmen.

She is survived by her husband Sy, her sons Alan (wife Allison) and Michael, and her daughter Michelle (husband Felix), as well as 8 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

She is also survived by her sister Felice and her niece, who was raised as a sister, Marisa (husband Isaac).

Jean was a devout Christian and attended Victory Faith Church. She was loved by many and will be sorely missed, which is a testament of the many lives she touched. She will be remembered for greeting people with a smile and showing God’s love to everyone she met.

Born in Coyote, she spent most of her life in Espanola where she and her husband owned and operated Richard’s Department Store for over 40 years before retiring. She then came out of retirement to team up with her husband to manage Bloch’s Furniture for over 10 years where she always greeted customers with a smile.

The light of her life, of course, were Jean’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with whom she spent most of her time and energy caring for and sharing her love for God. Her grandchildren, Jessica, AJ, Jenae, Justine, Mario, Isaiah, Mykayla, and Raymond loved her deeply and always enjoyed spending time with their “Grandma” or “Girl Grams”.

Services will be held at Victory Faith Church, 823 Angel Duran St., Espanola, NM on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, with public viewing starting at 6:00pm followed by a memorial service at 7:00pm. Burial will be on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, with a short memorial service at 10:00am at Victory Faith Church, Burial at Loma Vista Cemetery in Alcalde, NM with a memorial reception lunch at 12:30pm to be announced.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons: AJ, Mario, and Isaiah Martinez, and Raymond Archuleta, along with honorary pall bearers, her close friends Lucy Jaramillo and Betty Gonzales.

Her family would like to thank the wonderful nurses and doctors at Presbyterian Hospital (downtown ABQ) and Kaseman Hospice for their care in the last days of her life. The family has entrusted DeVargas Funeral Home with her final arrangements.