Dorothy L Martini

Beloved wife and mother, Dorothy L. Martini, of Newport Beach, passed away at age 89 on March 10, 2007. Known for her devotion to her family, Dorothy was a vibrant, determined, outgoing, hardworking, kindhearted woman with a sweet and giving nature, She had a wide range of interests and a strong intellectual curiosity, which she satisfied through the pages of a multitude of books, newspapers and magazines. In the Southern tradition, she was a grand storyteller, weaving tales of her early years on the Lilamack cotton plantation in Louisiana, where her father worked as a foreman, and she and her older brother, I. D., and her younger sisters Ora Mae and Annie Marie played on the banks of (and in the waters of) the mighty Mississippi. Ever the leader, Dorothy led her willing siblings on numerous exciting escapades.

Her independent nature showed itself early, when she refused to be enrolled in a high-school home economics course. She held her ground until the reluctant principal agreed to put her in a chemistry class instead. Ironically, she would later become an excellent seamstress, sewing clothes for her daughter, herself, and her daughter’s dolls.

Dorothy had a lifelong love of music, which began when, as a young girl, she taught herself to play piano. She appreciated all kinds of music, ranging from the blues of her native South to the energetic pop of Tom Jones to her all-time favorite rock band, The Who.

Possessed of an indomitable spirit of adventure, Dorothy left her Mississippi birthplace to find Depression employment in Washington, D.C. She worked at various occupations before the wanderlust struck again in 1942, and she, a sister and three girlfriends drove across country (on gas coupons) to Los Angeles where began a job in the U.S. Marshall’s office, occasionally transporting prisoners from coast to coast by train. In Chinatown in 1943, she met a young marine named Rinaldo (Ron) Martini who was to become the love of her life and her husband in 1946. Their marriage continued for 57 happy years, until Ron’s passing in 2003.

A supportive wife and partner, Dorothy assisted her husband in the construction of two houses in South Pasadena, the city where they raised their two children, Gary and Carol Ann. She shared with her children her passion for ice skating and weekend scenic family drives. The family moved to Newport Beach in 1971, where Dorothy was able to indulge her tremendous love of the ocean. She adored body surfing, and, as she expressed it, “bouncing around in the waves.”

Renowned for her organizational and money management skills, she worked for many years as a full-time bookkeeper for Baywood Development