Gregoria R. Martinez, long time resident of San Antonio, passed away on January 12, 2023. She was just seven days shy of the 92 ^nd birthday which is on January 19 ^th .  Gregoria, name meaning "watchful or vigilant", was born on January 19, 1931, to Nieves and Natividad Reyes (both deceased). She was the loving mother of six, devoted grandmother of 17, and proud great-grandmother of 29 children. She leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, sharing, respect, commitment and service to her family and community.

Gregoria was born and reared in Encinal, Texas. She moved to San Antonio, Texas, with her parents and five siblings at a very young age. She had to quit school to help her parents build their home and work in the fields. In her adult life, after all her children were born, she returned to school to complete her GED.

On January 12, 2023, when God decided that He needed Gregoria for his garden, her daughter and granddaughter were by her side. While her death left her family, friends and others who knew her, saddened and distraught, the memory of how she lived has left all who knew her with feelings of gratitude for having her in their lives.

As a young woman, Gregoria worked as a cook at a Mexican restaurant, where she met her husband, +Joe P. Martinez, Sr. They were married in 1947. Following the births of some of her children, she held jobs as a cleaning lady at the Aztec Building Offices and a waitress at a restaurant. Unfortunately, the couple divorced in 1970, which left her raising the four youngest of her six children as a single parent in public housing. It was there that the family kept, continued, and started new family traditions. One of the fondest memories that her children have was learning how to make tamales.  Making tamales was a tradition in the Martinez household and every year would begin early in the morning on Christmas Eve. This long-time family tradition was started when Gregoria herself was a child growing up. It was a full day of prepping, cooking, spreading, stuffing and finally eating. This tradition and memory will forever be cherished and passed on to the next generations. Her four surviving children give their mother praises for being a loving, yet stern role model. It was that unconditional firm love that made them successful in each of their careers. They value all they learned from their mother.

Gregoria was a stay-at-home mom for many years of her younger children's lives. When her last child was able to go to school, she began working at St. Stephen's Catholic Church and continued that service as housekeeper/cook for several years. When she wasn't at the rectory cooking and cleaning, she was home taking care of her children. She also enjoyed taking care of her yard and plants. She would talk to her plants because she would say "it helps them grow".  She enjoyed cooking all types of food, but one of her biggest passions was baking.  She is known as the "best baker" by her family and friends. She would always bake special Christmas treats for her postman, sanitation workers, the local pharmacist, and her doctors.  Gregoria poured her heart and soul into her baking and her family absolutely loved and enjoyed her treats.

She touched the lives of many people including strangers. She made it a point to greet everyone she met with a warm "hello, how are you" and a smile. Another passion Gregoria took the most pride in was her crocheting and sewing. She made her grandchildren quilts and crocheted blankets. There wasn't anything she refused to do for her family. Holidays and celebrating birthdays were very important "family" gatherings. There wasn't a birthday that was forgotten, she remembered everyone's birthday. Every holiday that was coming up, she would say, "it's my favorite" so every holiday was her favorite holiday. She cared for many of her grandchildren while her children went to work, and they will forever treasure the lessons she taught and the time they spent together.

Gregoria is survived by her children, Yolanda (+Alfred) Rodriguez, Joe P. (Elizabeth) Martinez, Edward (Herlinda) Martinez, Mary Lou (Tony) Jimenez and her sister, Alicia (+Robert) Flores. She is grandmother to Sandi Rodriguez, Alfred Rodriguez, Jr., Anthony Rodriguez, Michael Rodriguez, Debbie Galvan, Joseph Martinez, Monica Cedillo, Daniel Martinez, Eddie Martinez, Jr., Anna Guerra, Lisa Tamez, Gilbert Martinez, George Gamez, Christina Cortez, Jackie Moncivais, Antonio (Tonio) Jimenez and Thomas Jimenez.  She also leaves behind 29 great grandchildren as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.  She was also about to have her first great-great grandchild.

She is predeceased by her parents, Nieves and Natividad Reyes, her children Raul Martinez and Bertha Moncivais, her brothers, Nieves Reyes, Jr. and Daniel Reyes; her sisters, Remigia Linan, Emma Herrada and her beloved pet of 16 years, Cybil.

The family wishes to extend a multitude of gratitude to Harbor Valley Health and Rehabilitation and Three Oaks Hospice for the wonderful care they gave their mother. Both were very nurturing with her care and they supported the family through her time there. We also wish to extend our thanks to our mom's caregiver/provider, Gracie. She took great care of mom for 15 years.

Details for funeral services are currently pending and will be announced once confirmed.