Jay Samaniego Martin

Jay Samaniego Martin May 30, 1932 ~ November 30, 2013 Resident of Moraga Jay Martin died November 29, 2013, in Moraga, CA., at the age of 81. His birth name was Hugo Joseph Samaniego. His father was a printer and his mother was an artist. Both parents were second-generation Basque-Americans. Jay's childhood was spent in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. He attended high school in El Paso, Texas, where he lived with his grandfather and proudly became a pachuco. His years in El Paso influenced him greatly, reinforcing traits of inner strength, protectiveness, and loyalty, but also introducing him to the local gang culture. He eventually realized he had a choice: continue life as a gang member or find a way out through education. Choosing education, he joined the Air Force and served in the Strategic Air Command during the Korean War, where he developed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and leadership - all the skills necessary for successfully navigating a bureaucracy. He used the GI bill to earn an Associate in Arts degree from City College in San Francisco. Although English was his second language, he chose Business and English as his majors. From the beginning, he aspired to be a writer. A chance encounter with his sister's personnel officer friend inspired Jay to take the Civil Service Entrance Exam, which led to a position as classifier. He worked for the Defense Department in Lancaster, California, and at the Naval Weapons Station in Indian Head, Maryland. He became the Personnel Officer for the Housing and Urban Development Agency in San Francisco in 1973, and then for the Department of Health and Human Services. The knowledge that education had provided him a path out of the barrio, coupled with the recognition that a chance encounter with a positive role model had propelled his career forward, led Jay to spend much of his life exhorting young people to go to college. He relished identifying their strengths and encouraging them to dream big, way beyond their own parents' aspirations for them. It meant a lot to him when people contacted him years later to show what they had accomplished and to thank him for being their inspiration. He especially liked working with Latinos and with low-income kids who lacked positive role models. Jay retired early from the federal government and took pleasure in raising his two sons and a stepdaughter. He was an ever-present parent, deeply involved in the kids' activities, driving them to music lessons, and coaching soccer, softball, and basketball. He spent his retirement years learning new things. An eclectic list of classes taken includes architecture, landscaping, auto mechanics, small engine repair, boat building, computer repair, and pottery. He made some beautiful and unusual sculptures for which he won awards at Los Medanos College; he restored a 1954 Chevy truck; he built, trouble shot, and repaired computers for family and friends; and he spent much of his retirement writing a novel of his life story. He was a garage sale junkie, buying baby clothes for a church layette program, and securing many wonderful finds for friends and relatives. Jay attended Lafayette Christian Church for 39 years. He loved being part of such a caring, welcoming community, and enjoyed the hugs and singing. He made friends everywhere he went, was generous to a fault, and always went out of his way to help people with their problems. He was well known for his unique sense of humor. He is survived by Connie Couts, his partner of 39 years; two sons Michael and Steven Martin of Pleasant Hill, California; stepdaughter Chris Althouse of San Jose, California; and five grandchildren. He is also survived by his nieces, Paula Blackwell, Priscilla McRae, Vickie Hallett, and Evie Dulay, and his nephew, Greg Allison. Services will be held January 11, 2014, at 2:00 in the afternoon at Lafayette Christian Church, 584 Glenside Drive in Lafayette, California. Memorial gifts may be made to the Permanent Endowment Fund of Lafayette Christian Church.