Suzanne L. "Sue" Martinez

Suzanne "Sue" L. Martinez, 71, of Vernon, Texas entered Heaven's gates on the day after Jesus's birthday, December 26, 2025, in Vernon, Texas.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 11:00 am at Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral Home in Vinita, Oklahoma with Pastor Tim Lunk of Emmanuel Church officiating.
Sue was born on February 22, 1954, in Wichita, Kansas to Juanita "Geri" Truscott. She was raised in Burbank and Santee, California with her sister and two brothers. She was baptized at thirteen years old and later in life rededicated her life to Christ. She had a lifelong journey of serving others and was the definition of an extremely hard worker. She worked several jobs at a time and never complained.
She worked at Craig General Hospital in Vinita, Oklahoma, for numerous years working two full-time jobs as a CNA and in dietary. She also privately sat for several elderly people who became friends who she dearly loved.
Sue married Sam Martinez on November 16, 1985, in Freeport, Texas where they lived until moving to Vinita, Oklahoma over twenty-five years ago.
She enjoyed gardening and landscaping as she always had a beautifully manicured yard full of flowers and plants and even had hand painted murals on all her fences. Sue also enjoyed feeding and caring for her many beautiful Japanese koi fish known as "the guys" which lived in an enormous indoor Koi pond with a running waterfall. She also loved all her beloved fur babies over the years, Sasha and Miss Honey, and her bulldogs Clara Bella and Callie Marie known as "the girls". Sue loved collecting hundreds of Precious Moments and Dreamsicles figurines and hundreds of frog anything. She was also an amazing cook and was known for her macaroni salad. She loved visiting with family and traveling with friends, including trips to Las Vegas.
Sue dearly loved her family including one son, Chris Upton & wife Sammie of Shawnee, Oklahoma, her sister, Janet Gray of Azle, Texas, three grandchildren, Summer Anderson, Jake Upton, and Alyssa Upton, and four great grandchildren Adley Davis, Emmie Davis, Tracy Davis, and Calvin Anderson.
Sue lived with her niece Casey Gray in Vernon for the last four years. Casey was not only Sue's special niece but was her nurse & primary caregiver. They both loved each other very much. Casey's fur babies all loved their Auntie Sue including Minnie, Emmie, Biscuit, Snowball & Lilly. Also cherishing Sue is nieces Rebecca Byars, & Ciara Gray, great niece Aubrey Byars & great nephew Charlie Byars.
Sue is preceded in death by her grandparents, Ernie & Betty Truscott and Anon & Juanita Smith, her parents, Richard & Juanita "Geri" Truscott, her husband of thirty-two years, Sam Martinez, and her brother Jake Boyle.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.highsmithfh.com or on the funeral home Facebook page. Local arrangements are in the care of the Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral and Cremation Services of Vinita. "Vinita's only locally family owned and operated funeral home."