Sean Joaquin Martines

1968 - 2019

Sean Joaquin Martines, 51, was born Jan. 27, 1968, to Joaquin Martines and Georgiann (Mahaffy) Martines in Mount Vernon, Washington. He spent his early years in Northwest Washington and moved with his family to Eagle River in 1976.
In 1979, he attended school in Katy, Texas, and graduated from Green Mountain High School in Lakewood, Colorado, in 1986. While attending high school, he was an outstanding basketball player, earning a scholarship to Chadron State College in Nebraska. Sean was active in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1988 until 1994. He was stationed in Homer on the Coast Guard Cutter Sedge, and then, after attending A.T. School, was stationed at Coast Guard Base Kodiak. He served on the HH65 helicopters for search and rescue response until leaving the service and graduating with honors from The University of Texas Permian Basin in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
Sean and his young family returned to Alaska where he obtained employment with the State of Alaska at the Fairbanks International Airport in 1997 as an Airport Police and Fire Officer. He retired in 2018 as chief of the police and fire department, then served as interim police chief of Fort Yukon. At the time of his death, he was employed as a court security officer at the Federal Courthouse in Fairbanks.
Sean accepted Jesus Christ as his lord and savior at an early age. He loved his fellow man, sometimes to his detriment; a trait he inherited from his loving mother. He loved to hunt and fish, mastering his fishing skills with his father as a young boy in both Washington state and Alaska. Even though Sean worked in law enforcement, it was fire service that was his pride because, as a young man, he watched his father work in industrial fire protection and serve as a volunteer fire chief.
Sean's position as chief was a great accomplishment and great source of family pride. This Texas boy became an Alaskan through and through. Sean was a mountain of a man with a heart to match. He was proud of his Hispanic heritage and referred to himself as the "Tan Giant" and his camper as "El Barrio," which was a staple at Arctic Man. Sean's cooking skills were renowned, and only fools turned down an invitation to dinner. His writing and artistic talents brought beauty, joy and laughter to the lives around him. Sean lived his life creatively, generously, with kindness and to the fullest and was happiest with a line in the water and fish in the boat.
Our beloved Sean died Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, succumbing to the effects of a quiet and complicated disease: depression. We take great comfort knowing that he went into God's hands and found peace and his life everlasting.
He leaves behind his loving wife, Sarah Lefebvre; daughters, Lindsay (Eric Wilson) and Marti (Brandon Roll) Martines; son, Joaquin Keegan Martines (U.S. Army); and their loving mother, Janie (Colley) Beaudreault; stepchildren, Brandon Lefebvre, of Montana, and Jenifer Lefebvre Earl and husband Shawn, of Fairbanks; grandchildren, Chance and Isaac Adams of Columbia Falls, Montana, Aunna and Waylon Lefebvre, of Whitefish, Montana, and Charlotte Earl; parents, Joaquin and Georgiann Martines, of Fayetteville, Texas; siblings, Kathy Topey and husband Terry, Roseann Pisklak and husband Steve and Ian Martines and wife Theresa, all of Texas; as well as many loving uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Pablo and Leonor Martines, George and Elaine Mahaffy and Uncle Gary Jones, all of Washington.
Funeral services with military honors will be held on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, at 3 p.m. at Fairbanks Lutheran Church, 1012 Cowles St., followed by one hour of Fellowship at the Church. A celebration of life will start at 6 p.m. in the Antler Room at Elks Lodge No. 1551, Pioneer Road.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to one of the following organizations: My Grandma's House, PO Box 60363, Fairbanks, AK 99706, www.mygrandmashouseak.org, or Hope for Depression Research Foundation, www.hopefordepression.org.
Online condolences may be made to the family at Blanchardfamilyfuneralhome.com.