ROBERT "Sweet Old Bob" MARTZ

Robert Martz was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 15, 1931. He married Joan (Mary Joan Polivka), also from Cleveland, in 1953. While in the Army, their first child, George, was born, and at only 30 days old, he went to be with the Lord in 1954. When Bob was discharged from the Army, he and Joan headed to Southern California to start a new life.

Bob worked in heating and air conditioning for ten years at Hughes Aircraft and twenty-eight years at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport). Their daughter Patti was born in 1955 followed by Robert Jr. in 1956. Shortly before the birth of Mike in 1958, they bought their home in Culver City. In 1960 Ed was born.

Bob was very active in the Catholic faith, having his children attend St. Gerard Majella School, serving as an usher during the Mass, in addition to setting up the electrical for the annual summer Carnivals. Bob and Joan were also sponsors of the teen club at the Church. Bob was a Boy Scout Leader for a few years, and spent lots of time with his sons and teen club boys building dune buggies, riding in the desert, and hunting at Doc Sherman's ranch. Every summer he took the family on vacations visiting all the National Parks and Catholic Missions up and down the California Coast. In 1965 they added on to their home giving the house plenty of room for annual New Year's Eve block parties with all the neighbors gathering around the player piano. The house was always filled with kids, neighbor kids, dogs, cats, a duck, a pet rat, lizards, and snakes-everything you can imagine!

The years went by and the kids moved out. Bob became captain of the Patom Drive Neighborhood Watch Program. He affectionately became known at "Sweet Old Bob". Bob and Joan enjoyed many vacations-a cruise to Alaska, a trip to the Holy Land, and numerous camping trips with the Elks Lodge and the Camper Club, and several trips to Idaho to see the kids and grandkids.

Bob retired from LAX in 1990 and their plans to move to the Northwest were shattered when Joan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's shortly thereafter. On June 24, 2003 they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and Joan passed away on November 3, 2003. Their children and granddaughter came for the funeral and Joan is interned at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.

Bob remained active in the Culver City Senior Center singing at various nursing homes. He was a Eucharist Minister for Father Martin at St. Gerard's. In 2005 he married Adra and they visited the kids and grandkids several times in Idaho. They became active at St. Augustine's Church, the Daughters of St. Paul Pauline Book Store and Bob became a 4th degree Knight of Columbus.

Since November 2019, Bob suffered several strokes and spent the remainder of his life at hospitals and care centers. On March 12, 2020 the Lord took him to heaven.

He is survived by his second wife, his four children, two grandchildren, five great-grand children, several nieces and nephews and one sister-in-law. He is preceded in death by his wife of 50 years Joan, his son George, his grandson Joshua (2018), his three brothers and one sister.

Due to the coronavirus, services at Holy Cross Cemetery are pending. For updates, feel free to email Bob's daughter, Patti Martz, [email protected] or call Holy Cross.