Jesse had just returned from serving a tour of duty in the South Pacific when he met Anita through friends. He offered to walk her home, and after a brief courtship, they married in 1948. Their sense of humor and bright outlook on life has kept their relationship strong for 62 years.
Anita volunteered in the Hispanic community and worked in the restaurant industry while Jesse worked at Tinker Air Force Base. When she was invited to attend a gathering regarding a community center, she found herself pulled into a project that became bigger than she ever expected. “The Salvation Army was working on developing a Hispanic community program specifically for senior citizens. I had always loved working with the elderly even when I was a little girl,” Anita said. “Before I knew it, they asked me if I would be the director of Puerta de Oro.” Using her creativity and charm, Anita grew Puerta de Oro from a small neighborhood program to an actual community center housed in what was once a firehouse.
After his retirement, Jesse joined Anita at the center as a volunteer bus driver, and the two worked diligently on behalf of the Hispanic elderly by providing warm meals, music, Bingo, Zumba classes and numerous excursions. They would also visit the homes of the more vulnerable seniors to ensure that they were taking their medications and had food and other necessities.
As a couple, the Martinezes have served the Hispanic community not only by caring for its elderly, but by keeping cultural traditions alive. Anita recently passed the torch as director of Puerta de Oro to her daughter, but she and Jesse continue to be involved as their health permits.
Jesse and Anita attribute their successful marriage to a number of things. “First, you must respect each other,” Jesse said. “And treat each other as equals and partners.”
“We have always been respectful and supportive, and we enjoy working together as a team,” Anita said. “Jesse and I love to spend quality time together to go dancing or out to dinner, but we also encourage each other to be independent and have our own interests as well.”
The Martinezes have earned quite a stellar reputation among their peers. One wrote, “They have given us so much through their hard work and effort. This devoted couple deserves the very best.”