Donald Martinez (`84)

Donald Martinez, a lifelong Albuquerque resident and advocate for peace and social justice, died in late November after battling skin cancer. He was 54.

He practiced in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, products liability and medical malpractice with the Fine Law Firm, which he joined in 1989.

"He had the sort of overarching belief system that you've got to help the neediest, who are viewed by some as the least accepted in the community, to life them up," said his brother, District Court Judge Kenneth Martinez (`80).

Donald was a peace activist during the Vietnam War, which led him to become a delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention when he was only 18. No matter the cause that grabbed him, whether it was the UNM Lobos or people down on their luck, he gave it his all. Among his many involvements was Dismas House, where he was on the board of directors and served as past president.

After graduating from UNM, Donald taught in Albuquerque Public Schools before enrolling in the UNM School of Law, graduating in 1984. He was a staff attorney with the state Court of Appeals, and moved on to become a state public defender. His move to the private sector took him to a large insurance defense firm and then the Fine firm.