Lucy Roberts Martinez

Lucy Anne Roberts Martinez, September 21, 1941 - November 10, 2021



Lucy Martinez, beloved wife, mother, and nana, died November 10, 2021. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, September 21, 1941, Lucy had the opportunity to see much of the United States as a child, living in El Paso, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Decatur, Georgia.



After graduating from Fulton High School in Knoxville, Lucy attended King College in Bristol, Tennessee, now King University, where she met Inocencio Martinez (Ino) from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. They were married on July 22, 1961 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Bristol, Virginia. Eager to start a family, their first child Janice Marie was born May of 1962; Barbara Michelle followed in September of 1966, and Thomas Matthew in April of 1971.



By 1972, the family had settled in Chicagoland and Lucy found a new passion for serving God while attending St John's Episcopal Church in Flossmoor, Illinois. She sang in the choir, was the directress of the Altar Guild, a member of Daughters of the King, and became a Lay Reader. Later in the north suburbs of Chicago, Lucy became a Lay Eucharistic Minister at St Mary's Episcopal Church in Crystal Lake, Illinois. She then took on four years of intensive study to become a Deacon. She was ordained at St James Episcopal Cathedral on December 7, 1991 in downtown Chicago.



Ino's work took the Martinez family to Kennesaw, Georgia where Lucy served as a Deacon at St Clement's Episcopal Church in Canton. She took on a key administrative role during the church's extended search for a new rector. She and Ino were a part of that community for over 20 years. They retired to Savannah in spring of 2018 where they became members of St Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. They were also integral members of their neighborhood community.



Lucy was loving and devoted to her husband and family. She always put her children first and she offered enthusiastic support for their dreams. She remained close to her sister and extended family members as well as people from her church communities over the years. Lucy loved to travel in the United States and abroad. She loved visiting children and grandchildren and found her greatest joy in hearing her family laughing together.



She is preceded in death by her husband, Inocencio Martinez, and her parents, Nita Janice Smith Roberts and John Harrison Roberts. She is survived by daughters Janice Marie Martinez (spouse Larry Anastasia), and Barbara Michelle (Bambi) Martinez (spouse Scott Prieb), and son Thomas Matthew Martinez (spouse Alicia Roth Martinez); grandchildren Madison Olivia Martinez, Sheridan Michelle Prieb, Luke Harrison Martinez, and Emily Hope Martinez. Lucy is also survived by her sister Barbara Lynn Roberts Sydell.



There will be a Celebration of Life worship service at a date, time, and place to be announced.



In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Arthritis Foundation or to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.