Daniel Anthony Martinez

Dan Martinez, a beloved husband, father, teacher, and lifelong sports enthusiast, passed away peacefully at his home on August 28, 2025. Born on September 11, 1962, in Orange, California, Danny grew up in Ventura with his parents, Ralph and Patricia Martinez, and his two sisters, Thérèse Martinez Palmisano and Denise Martinez.

He graduated from Buena High School in 1980 with a passion for science and continued his studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he played water polo, started a fraternity, and earned his undergraduate degree. After a gap year working at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles, where he treated local professional athletes, he pursued a master’s degree in Kinesiology at UCLA. He later completed his PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and postdoctoral training in orthopedic research in Rochester, New York.

He eventually settled at the University of Houston, where he spent over 17 years and built a life with his loving wife, Laura, and their two sons, Andy and Joaquín. He became a teacher and coach at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, where his two boys went to High School, and where he worked for the past 13 years.

Dan loved everything about sports—whether he was coaching, keeping score at nearly every Strake Jesuit High School game, or watching anything from college volleyball to the Super Bowl and hot dog-eating contests. He followed all the Los Angeles teams closely, with the Dodgers, Lakers, Rams, and UCLA being his favorites.

Dan is survived by his father, Ralph Martinez; wife, Laura Gutiérrez; sons Andy and Joaquín Martinez; sisters Denise Martinez and Thérèse Martinez Palmisano, brother-in-law John Palmisano, nephews Evan, Aaron, Ryan, and William Palmisano, aunt Kathryn Kendzora, and cousin Kyle Hamilton. He is preceded in death by his mother, Patricia Martinez.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in his memory be made to Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, 8900 Bellaire Blvd. Houston, TX 77036. www.strakejesuit.org/make-a-gift