Edwin Richard Martinson, Jr., 76, died on February 8, 2021, of cancer, at home in San Jose, CA. His wife Elizabeth was by his side. Rick was born on October 3, 1944 in San Diego, CA, son of Edwin R. Martinson and Loretta Walter Martinson. Rick’s father was in the Navy and the family moved frequently. The only times that Rick attended a school for more than one year were his two junior high school years in the Dominican Republic and the last two years of high school in Ukiah, CA. Rick had special memories of the year he lived with his maternal grandparents in Minnesota while his parents were still in the Dominican Republic. The family then moved to Philadelphia where Rick graduated from Drexel University. After college, Rick “joined the family business” as an officer in the U.S. Navy. His favorite assignment was working on the bridge of an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. He told many stories about his time at sea and his love for travel remained a hallmark in his life.
Rick had a dedicated career in sales of scientific instruments. He often related his knowledge about sales to musings about life. One of his jobs took him to Atlanta, GA where he connected with the Atlanta Friends Meeting. He married and moved to Rochester, NY, where his son Jacob was born, and then to Knoxville, TN. After divorce, Jacob and his mother moved to Atlanta and Rick worked in Saint Petersburg, FL. He drove many miles between St. Pete and Atlanta to spend time with Jacob. When Rick got a job with Siemens, he moved back to Atlanta. Rick was interested in his Finnish heritage, and he was excited to find his Finnish cousins on the internet. This inspired him to travel with his father to Finland to meet the relatives.
In August 2000, Rick married Elizabeth (Beth) Clemens Miller under the care of the Atlanta Friends Meeting. In following years, Rick served in many capacities in the Atlanta Meeting’s life and work. Upon retirement, Rick and Beth were inspired by Louise and Terry Lehman to purchase a travel trailer. This was a great source of joy for Rick and took them across the country visiting friends and relatives, from Rhode Island to California. Rick and Beth visited a number of Quaker meetings in their travels across the country. In December 2016, they decided to settle in San Jose, CA, making the San Jose Friends Meeting their new Quaker home in January 2017.
Rick and Beth quickly became active members of the San Jose Friends Meeting bringing with them a strong and heartfelt focus on welcoming others. They had learned in their trip across the country how important it was to them to receive a warm welcome. Rick embraced the Meeting whole-heartedly and quickly became a mainstay of the Meeting. He lived his belief and values through action and served his local and wider Friends community with integrity and humility. Rick participated in nearly every role or function of the San Jose Friends Meeting during his four years of membership. He is remembered fondly for infusing his time on the Hospitality Committee with humor and enthusiasm. He welcomed all in the friendly spirit of fellowship. Rick participated in Friends General Conference and was very active with the Friends Committee on National Legislation. He was steadfast in this effort, communicating with members of Congress on issues of peace and war. He attended nearly all of the local Advocacy Team lobby visits and the FCNL Annual Summit. In his communications with members of Congress, stories about his time in the Navy became powerful lessons for peace. A natural leader and elder, Rick was appreciated by all for his wisdom, steadfastness, and care.
Rick was known for his good humor. He was generous and kind. He loved to eat and he was proud of his cooking, which was a regular feature at the Meeting’s fellowship gatherings. Rick enjoyed playing with computers and was the driving force that enabled the San Jose Friends Meeting to swiftly transition to online worship at the start of the pandemic. The Meeting’s online format for worship and committee meetings continues to thrive thanks to Rick’s commitment to keeping the community connected.
Rick learned to speak Spanish when living in the Dominican Republic and happily continued to study and speak the language in his travels. One of the crowning glories of his life was hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. After seeing a movie about the Camino, Rick promptly announced that he planned to go there. He walked many miles to prepare and went to Spain, not once but twice, hiking more than 200 kilometers on the historic trail. It was a life changing pilgrimage for Rick.
Rick was an avid reader, writer of poetry, and lover of music and song. He gathered the courage to sing to Beth at their wedding reception and over the years he continued to sing happily. In the last months of his life, he was learning to play the banjo. Rick loved his travel trailer and would hang out at the trailer even when he wasn’t traveling. He was looking forward to more travels after Covid.
Rick is survived by Elizabeth Clemens Martinson of San Jose, CA, Jacob and Mandi Martinson of Warwick, RI, Gretta and Michael Sweeney and granddaughter Katie Sweeney of Long Beach, CA, Lois Miller and Steve Van Huystee of San Jose, CA, Louise and Terry Lehman of Fishers, IN, Stan and Jo Clemens of Bluffton, OH, and his dear cousins from the Walter and Martinson families of Minnesota.