Al Martinez passed January 12, 2015 of congestive heart failure. He was 85 and had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Alfred Martinez was the 3rd child (out of 4) born to Alfredo and Mary (nee Lopez) on July 21 1929 in Oakland, CA . His parents divorced when he was 5, but mother married again giving him and his sisters a step-father, and later, another sister.
At 20, he married Joanne Cinelli, who was a fellow student at San Francisco State, and soon joined the Marines.
From 1950 to 1952, he served in the Korean War as a rifleman and combat correspondent.
Upon returning from war, he briefly attended UC Berkeley but left to join the Richmond Independent as a reporter. He moved to the Oakland Tribune in 1955 and stayed until 1971.
After re-locating to Southern CA he joined The L.A. Times in 1972 as a reporter covering local news. During that time he contributed to three Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts; a 1983 series on the growth of the Latino population in Southern California (he wrote a feature on Mexican American millionaires), 1992 coverage of the Los Angeles riots, and 1994 reporting on the Northridge earthquake. He worked for the Times until 2009.
In 2002 he received a lifetime achievement award from the California Chicano News Media Assn. His work as a columnist was honored by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the California Newspaper Publishers Assn.
Soon after leaving the Times he began writing a column for the Los Angeles Daily News, which published his final one in March 2013. He began writing columns for the LA Observed website after that. He also had written a column for his community newspaper, the Topanga Messenger, and for AARP. He also shared his craft through his Topanga Writers Workshop.
In 2012 the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in San Marino mounted an exhibition of his work and papers and declared him to be the "Bard of L.A."
His books include the novel "The Last City Room" and nonfiction books; "I'll Be Damned If I'll Die in Oakland," "City of Angles: A Drive-By Portrait of L.A.," "Ashes in the Rain," "Dancing Under the Moon," "Reflections," "Rising Voices: A New Generation" and "Barkley: A Dog's Journey."
His TV writing credits include several movies & series such as: "Bronk" (1975), "Jigsaw John" (1976) which Martinez created based on a story he did about an LAPD detective, "Hawaii Five-O" (1978), "B.A.D. Cats" (1980), Air Wolf (1985), "Out On The Edge" (1989), and "Jake and the Fatman" (1992).
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, a son, six grandchildren, two sisters, extended family, and many many friends.
He was preceded in death by eldest daughter, two sisters, mother, father, and other family.
Alfred Martinez was the 3rd child (out of 4) born to Alfredo and Mary (nee Lopez) on July 21 1929 in Oakland, CA . His parents divorced when he was 5, but mother married again giving him and his sisters a step-father, and later, another sister.
At 20, he married Joanne Cinelli, who was a fellow student at San Francisco State, and soon joined the Marines.
From 1950 to 1952, he served in the Korean War as a rifleman and combat correspondent.
Upon returning from war, he briefly attended UC Berkeley but left to join the Richmond Independent as a reporter. He moved to the Oakland Tribune in 1955 and stayed until 1971.
After re-locating to Southern CA he joined The L.A. Times in 1972 as a reporter covering local news. During that time he contributed to three Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts; a 1983 series on the growth of the Latino population in Southern California (he wrote a feature on Mexican American millionaires), 1992 coverage of the Los Angeles riots, and 1994 reporting on the Northridge earthquake. He worked for the Times until 2009.
In 2002 he received a lifetime achievement award from the California Chicano News Media Assn. His work as a columnist was honored by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the California Newspaper Publishers Assn.
Soon after leaving the Times he began writing a column for the Los Angeles Daily News, which published his final one in March 2013. He began writing columns for the LA Observed website after that. He also had written a column for his community newspaper, the Topanga Messenger, and for AARP. He also shared his craft through his Topanga Writers Workshop.
In 2012 the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in San Marino mounted an exhibition of his work and papers and declared him to be the "Bard of L.A."
His books include the novel "The Last City Room" and nonfiction books; "I'll Be Damned If I'll Die in Oakland," "City of Angles: A Drive-By Portrait of L.A.," "Ashes in the Rain," "Dancing Under the Moon," "Reflections," "Rising Voices: A New Generation" and "Barkley: A Dog's Journey."
His TV writing credits include several movies & series such as: "Bronk" (1975), "Jigsaw John" (1976) which Martinez created based on a story he did about an LAPD detective, "Hawaii Five-O" (1978), "B.A.D. Cats" (1980), Air Wolf (1985), "Out On The Edge" (1989), and "Jake and the Fatman" (1992).
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, a son, six grandchildren, two sisters, extended family, and many many friends.
He was preceded in death by eldest daughter, two sisters, mother, father, and other family.
Al Martinez passed January 12, 2015 of congestive heart failure. He was 85 and had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Alfred Martinez was the 3rd child (out of 4) born to Alfredo and Mary (nee Lopez) on July 21 1929 in Oakland, CA . His parents divorced when he was 5, but mother married again giving him and his sisters a step-father, and later, another sister.
At 20, he married Joanne Cinelli, who was a fellow student at San Francisco State, and soon joined the Marines.
From 1950 to 1952, he served in the Korean War as a rifleman and combat correspondent.
Upon returning from war, he briefly attended UC Berkeley but left to join the Richmond Independent as a reporter. He moved to the Oakland Tribune in 1955 and stayed until 1971.
After re-locating to Southern CA he joined The L.A. Times in 1972 as a reporter covering local news. During that time he contributed to three Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts; a 1983 series on the growth of the Latino population in Southern California (he wrote a feature on Mexican American millionaires), 1992 coverage of the Los Angeles riots, and 1994 reporting on the Northridge earthquake. He worked for the Times until 2009.
In 2002 he received a lifetime achievement award from the California Chicano News Media Assn. His work as a columnist was honored by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the California Newspaper Publishers Assn.
Soon after leaving the Times he began writing a column for the Los Angeles Daily News, which published his final one in March 2013. He began writing columns for the LA Observed website after that. He also had written a column for his community newspaper, the Topanga Messenger, and for AARP. He also shared his craft through his Topanga Writers Workshop.
In 2012 the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in San Marino mounted an exhibition of his work and papers and declared him to be the "Bard of L.A."
His books include the novel "The Last City Room" and nonfiction books; "I'll Be Damned If I'll Die in Oakland," "City of Angles: A Drive-By Portrait of L.A.," "Ashes in the Rain," "Dancing Under the Moon," "Reflections," "Rising Voices: A New Generation" and "Barkley: A Dog's Journey."
His TV writing credits include several movies & series such as: "Bronk" (1975), "Jigsaw John" (1976) which Martinez created based on a story he did about an LAPD detective, "Hawaii Five-O" (1978), "B.A.D. Cats" (1980), Air Wolf (1985), "Out On The Edge" (1989), and "Jake and the Fatman" (1992).
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, a son, six grandchildren, two sisters, extended family, and many many friends.
He was preceded in death by eldest daughter, two sisters, mother, father, and other family.
Alfred Martinez was the 3rd child (out of 4) born to Alfredo and Mary (nee Lopez) on July 21 1929 in Oakland, CA . His parents divorced when he was 5, but mother married again giving him and his sisters a step-father, and later, another sister.
At 20, he married Joanne Cinelli, who was a fellow student at San Francisco State, and soon joined the Marines.
From 1950 to 1952, he served in the Korean War as a rifleman and combat correspondent.
Upon returning from war, he briefly attended UC Berkeley but left to join the Richmond Independent as a reporter. He moved to the Oakland Tribune in 1955 and stayed until 1971.
After re-locating to Southern CA he joined The L.A. Times in 1972 as a reporter covering local news. During that time he contributed to three Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts; a 1983 series on the growth of the Latino population in Southern California (he wrote a feature on Mexican American millionaires), 1992 coverage of the Los Angeles riots, and 1994 reporting on the Northridge earthquake. He worked for the Times until 2009.
In 2002 he received a lifetime achievement award from the California Chicano News Media Assn. His work as a columnist was honored by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the California Newspaper Publishers Assn.
Soon after leaving the Times he began writing a column for the Los Angeles Daily News, which published his final one in March 2013. He began writing columns for the LA Observed website after that. He also had written a column for his community newspaper, the Topanga Messenger, and for AARP. He also shared his craft through his Topanga Writers Workshop.
In 2012 the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in San Marino mounted an exhibition of his work and papers and declared him to be the "Bard of L.A."
His books include the novel "The Last City Room" and nonfiction books; "I'll Be Damned If I'll Die in Oakland," "City of Angles: A Drive-By Portrait of L.A.," "Ashes in the Rain," "Dancing Under the Moon," "Reflections," "Rising Voices: A New Generation" and "Barkley: A Dog's Journey."
His TV writing credits include several movies & series such as: "Bronk" (1975), "Jigsaw John" (1976) which Martinez created based on a story he did about an LAPD detective, "Hawaii Five-O" (1978), "B.A.D. Cats" (1980), Air Wolf (1985), "Out On The Edge" (1989), and "Jake and the Fatman" (1992).
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, a son, six grandchildren, two sisters, extended family, and many many friends.
He was preceded in death by eldest daughter, two sisters, mother, father, and other family.
