SAN ANTONIO – A longtime civil rights activist died this weekend, according to the mayor’s office.
Jaime Martinez passed away Sunday morning after battling cancer for several years, his family said.
Martinez, 70, took the lead in organizing marches across the nation, including the annual Cesar Chavez March for Justice in San Antonio.
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Growing up in a barrio on the city’s West Side, Martinez said he first began fighting for migrant workers.
"Jaime will be missed, but his vision of dignity for all will continue to be a light that guides our path, and it will be led by the generations of advocates that he and his family inspire,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.
He was also the chairman of the Cesar E. Chavez Legacy and Educational Foundation. In 2011, Martinez was instrumental in getting City Council in changing Durango Boulevard to Cesar Chavez Blvd.
READ MORE: Longtime community activist leads annual Cesar Chavez march
The community is invited to a public viewing in honor of Jaime on Wednesday from noon to 9 p.m. at Porter Loring Mortuaries located at 2102 North Loop 1604 East, San Antonio, 78232.
Martinez’s family said there will be a procession Thursday and that, too, is open to the public. It will depart at 8 a.m. from Porter Loring and meet at Jaime P. Martinez Place (formerly Alta Vista Alley), located at the corner of Brazos and Laredo streets, until 10 a.m.
Community members are invited to join the gathering in memory of Martinez. Participants can line up along Laredo Street to S. Navidad Street and down Jaime P. Martinez Place. Private services will follow at the funeral home for family members only.
Jaime Martinez went home to be with the Lord in a most beautiful way at 12:15 am with his family reading his favorite...
Posted by Tommy Calvert, Bexar County Commissioner, Pct. 4 on Sunday, July 16, 2017