Anthony John Martins, Jr.

Anthony John Martins, Jr. (Tony) passed away in Plano, Texas on Easter day surrounded by family and love at the age of 85.

Born on September 2, 1937 and raised in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, New York, Tony married and began to raise a family of his own, first in Flushing, Queens, New York, and then in the leafier Randolph Township, New Jersey, where he lived for 51 years before recently relocating to Plano to be closer to his younger brothers.

Tony attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, New York City and, after graduation, held a series of jobs, including one which had him delivering manual typewriters to businesses across Manhattan, sometimes carrying two at a time in his arms, and another delivering rugs. Deciding he wanted a change, Tony enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp, where he discovered his love of computer programming and received training. Following his service, Tony would expand upon his talents as an information technology systems analyst, holding various positions of increasing responsibility at General Motors, JCPenney and AXA/The Equitable Life Insurance Company before his retirement. Tony’s most favorite professional achievements included managing systems for complex JCPenney catalogue distribution logistics and building an employee help desk from the ground up for AXA/The Equitable Life Insurance Company.

His life’s passions included being a lifelong New York Yankees fan, which brought him untold amounts of joy, and being a long-time NY Jets fan, which brought him untold amounts of exasperation. He also loved fishing, whether at Shongum Lake, New Jersey, where he was a fixture for years, or in the Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of New Jersey and Maine. Tony was an avid reader, enjoyed crossword puzzles, word games and writing poetry, political debate and watching old movies. In his youth, Tony was known as quite a dancer, a street hockey player and was fond of listening to Frank Sinatra and Fats Domino. He was also fiercely proud of his Portuguese heritage and enjoyed making trips to restaurants in the Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey, where he would seek out his favorite bacalao dish. He liked to cook too, and reveled in preparing roasted meats for family and friends to enjoy.

Among Tony’s greatest achievements was as a mentor and leader to many, having counseled and helped countless people overcome their addictions over the course of 30 years and reclaim their lives through his brand of tough love, irreverence, and humor. He will be missed by the many whose lives he touched.

He is survived by his wife, Marie Martins, and their three children, daughter Lisa Martins; son Anthony Martins and his female companion; daughter Debra Young and his son-in-law, William Young. He is also survived by his brothers Manny and Joey Martins of Plano and several nieces and nephews. Tony was predeceased by his beloved parents, Antonio, and Margaret Martins of Plano.

A Catholic Mass will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 14, 2023 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 2700 West Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano, TX. 75023, with a reception to follow immediately after. The service will be webcast live at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKPHpGeCRoE

If desired, and in lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Tony’s memory to the American Heart Association at https://www.heart.org/ . </p