Dora Teresa Martinez

Dora Teresa Martinez passed away peacefully in Houston on March 27, 2019 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 78. She was born in Mexico City on November 23, 1940 to Pedro Guillermo Sanchez-Mejorada and Dora Elena Corral. Dora married Oscar F. Martinez on November 18, 1961 in Monterrey Mexico. They were happily married for 57-years. At the age of 42, she immigrated to Houston, Texas with her husband and children. Dora loved the beauty of nature, always looking for a special moment brought to her by animals, birds, the romance of a sunset or the promise of a sunrise. She took her love of nature to her homes, always building remarkable oases in her gardens with a magical green touch. In her ideal day, she would take a long walk down the beach, build a sand castle with her children or grandchildren, enjoy the crashing waves and feast on fabulous food. Dora loved to travel and was fluent in Spanish, English and French. She dabbled in Italian. Dora was a remarkable hostess, always welcoming her guests with her delightful cooking. She was a tireless employee in her various jobs, most recently as office manager of a dental office. She brought order to her life and the life of those around her. She befriended many in her retirement community of Eagle’s Trace, challenging many of them with “Dora’s Water Aerobics”. She leaves behind walls filled with the art she created throughout her life, imprints of her radiant smile, joyful laughter and too many memories to list. Simply said, Dora touched thousands of lives and was loved by all. She is preceded in death by her father and mother. Dora is survived by her husband, Oscar F. Martinez, her son Oscar Andres Martinez, her daughter, Dora Beatriz Patout and her daughter’s husband, Rivers Aristide Patout IV. She is also survived by her loving grandchildren, Gabriel, Nathan and Peter Martinez and Rivers V and Claire Patout. Dora is also survived by her brother Pedro Andres Sanchez-Mejorada, his wife, Maria Teresa Muñoz, loving cousins and numerous nephews and nieces. The Martinez family will be present to receive friends on Sunday, March 31, 2019 from 6:00 until 8:00 pm with a Rosary at 7:00 pm at Dettling Funeral Home, 14094 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77079. A Funeral Mass will take place Monday, April 1, 2019 at 10:30 am at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, Texas 77079. A reception will follow Holy Mass on the church campus. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation in Dora’s memory to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research at https://www.lustgarten.org/.

Dora Teresa Martinez

November 23, 1940 - March 27, 2019