Courtesy photo
by JEN BIUNDO
Marjorie Martinez, the soft-spoken but quietly determined director of the Buda Public Library, passed away on Saturday, July 24, at the age of 61, following a long illness. She leaves behind a lasting legacy of literacy and lifelong learning.
“She was a very quiet yet effective leader in the community,” said Buda City Secretary Toni Milam. “She was absolutely devoted, not only to the library itself, but to the thousands that visited the library.”
Susie Bishop, a long time city and library employee, said Martinez was passionate about supporting literacy.
“She would go out of her way to find anything that anybody needed,” Bishop said.
Born in Ohio to Alphie and Mae Catherine Miller, Martinez met her husband Enrique in Mexico, where they lived for several years.
Martinez came to work at the Buda Public Library in 1989, when the library occupied a tiny portable building on the greenbelt. She helped coordinate the construction and move to the newly constructed Basil Anthony Moreau Library in 1993, and over the years worked to bring the library into the 21st century of technology.
“She started this library from the ground up,” said librarian Melinda Hodges.
In 1997, Martinez earned her master’s of library and information science from the University of Texas at Austin.
She retired this April and was honored by the mayor and council with a proclamation recognizing her two decades of service and dedication to the city.
“She really cared about people learning, and she really enjoyed being a librarian,” said co-worker Lupe Herrera.
Audrey Elder, a long time library volunteer who served on the Library Board of Trustees, said Martinez had a soft-spoken quality that belied her determined nature. Elder said her friend battled through her long illness with quiet courage, and she showed that determination until the end.
“On Friday, she told her husband, ‘One more day,’” Elder said. “She wanted to see her grandbabies one more time.”
Visitation was held Tuesday at Harrell Funeral Home, with a funeral mass and burial Wednesday morning. The library closed Wednesday morning so staff members could attend the services.
Martinez is survived by her husband, three married sons and seven grandchildren.
