Dr. I. Ricardo Martinez Jr. passed away peacefully in his sleep to rest in the glory of Paradise. The son of I. Ricardo Martinez Sr. and Amelia Areces Martinez, Ricardo, known as Ric, was raised in New Orleans where as a child he played sports on champion NORD teams coached by his father. A devoted Catholic, he attended Jesuit high school where he ran track and excelled in his studies, and graduated from Loyola University with Majors in Biology and Physiology and a Minor in Chemistry. LSU Medical School followed for the aspiring physician, where he joined the Phi Chi Fraternity, and served as an editor on the Tiger Rag and the Gumbo yearbook. Ric served his country completing his military service as a Captain in the United States Army Medical Service Corps. A talented singer and musician, Ric could often be found performing with his guitar at school concerts, social gatherings and clubs around town. He even sang lead vocals on "Archie Fever" a single that was produced during the excitement in New Orleans after Archie Manning was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1971. While singing with a group at the Deutsches Haus, Ric was to meet the love of his life, Dolly-Dean Kimball, and after a whirlwind courtship were soon married, welcoming daughter Tessa a year later. Once graduating from LSU Medical School, Dr. Martinez traveled with his young family for his Postgraduate Medical Training, interning at Columbia University/Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey, with residencies at Cornell University /New York Hospital and Boston University Hospital and School of Medicine achieving a PhD in Anatomy (Ultrastructure and Cell Biology). While in Boston they celebrated the birth of their son Terc, a name inspired by the Boston Bruins hockey player Derrick Sanderson. Ric enjoyed playing weekend games with the Boston Rugby Football Club, cheered on by his young wife and children near their home in Brookline. The family longed to return home to New Orleans, and Dr. Martinez accepted Lecturer and Clinical Attending Physician positions at LSU and Tulane Medical Schools, becoming Associate Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Ochsner Clinic. He then launched his Dermatology Private Practice at East Jefferson General Hospital in 1974 where he lovingly treated his patients as family until May of 2023. Ric and Dolly-Dean enjoyed supporting their children's school activities while in elementary at Sacred Heart and Sam Barthe and then cheering on the Cajuns at Metairie Park Country Day School where both children graduated. Dr. Martinez enjoyed teaching at both Tulane and LSU Medical Schools throughout his time in private practice and spotting former students at Dermatology functions in the city. He served as Athletic Team Physician for Tulane's Department of Athletics for twenty three years. Dr. Martinez received countless Academic Awards, Academic Appointments, Administrative Appointments, and Professional Society Honors, that are too plentiful to list. Some highlights were as Dermatology Division Chief and MD Anderson Physicians Network Member at East Jefferson General Hospital, as well as his humanitarian and educational work in the Republic of Georgia and the Black Sea/Caucasus Region. While traveling in the region they were able to attend a concert in Moscow where Terc was a featured artist. Dr. Martinez was the Director for the AAD Melanoma Skin Cancer Screening program, holding free public skin cancer screenings at East Jefferson from 1995 until 2022. Serving as on set physician Dr. Martinez worked on several motion pictures shot in New Orleans including Pretty Baby and Cat People, often entertaining cast and crew at the family Uptown home on Webster Street where they resided for nearly 50 years. They hosted a party for the Bolshoi Ballet delegation after they appeared alongside the Delta Festival Ballet, a historic first in the city. The family thoroughly enjoyed their close proximity to Audubon Park, and their most favourite pastime was walking their adorable Chihuahuas around the loop. Ric loved New Orleans and enjoyed a very full social life with Dolly-Dean, supporting the New Orleans Opera, The Delta Festival Ballet, The New Orleans Museum of Art and Le Petit Theatre to name a few. He was a member of Metairie Country Club, The Round Table Club, the Pendennis Club, The World Trade Center, and several Mardi Gras organizations. He participated in a diverse selection of social organizations, such as Sociedad Espanol, Deutsches Haus, Schlaraffia, La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, The English-Speaking Union, and L'Union Française where he served as president in 2011 and 2012. Both of their children traveled to pursue their interests and careers and Ric and Dolly-Dean enjoyed visiting them in New York, Los Angeles, London and Hong Kong. They also enjoyed extensive business travel for Dermatology Conferences, Dolly-Dean's talent and fashion management business, their humanitarian projects and family holidays across the United States, South America, Europe, Russia, The Republic of Georgia, Ukraine and Asia. After losing his beloved Dolly-Dean to illness in more recent years and surviving the pandemic, Dr. Martinez decided to reduce his office hours and spend more time at the family lake house in Mississippi, enjoying the peaceful and abundant natural beauty there, and another long-time passion, fishing. This was his happy place until his final days. He is survived by his Daughter Tessa and Son Terc. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, October 20th, at 11:00 am. at Holy Name of Jesus Church 6367 St. Charles Avenue. Visitation will begin at the church from 10:00 am. Repast will follow the funeral service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in honor of Dr. Martinez to the charity or cause of your choice. Online guestbook at www.greenwoodfh.com