Sergio Emilio Martinez died in his apartment in Leuven, Belgium on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at the age of 57. He was my first cousin.

Raul Martinez wrote the following obituary:

Sergio is survived by his parents, Emilio and Maria Martinez; sister, Maria Kavan; brothers, Emilio and Raul; uncles and aunts; nieces and nephews; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees of cousins (cousins: he loved you all); children of cousins (he really loved you guys too); friends; and colleagues from all over the world.

Most recently, Sergio was a senior research scientist at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Catholic University of Leuven) in Belgium, working in the Structural Biology Laboratory of Kalyan Das, a mentor, friend, and colleague for 15 years. A graduate of Cornell University (undergraduate), Purdue University (masters), and the University of Washington (PhD),Sergio specialized in the field of Crystallography, conducting basic research in the study of how the arrangement of atoms in complex proteins affects their properties. He previously worked in laboratories at Rutgers University and the University of Washington. He is the lead author or co-author of 42 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. His work contributed to understanding the operation of the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes HIV, and other infectious diseases that plague developing nations. He loved smashing atoms, and over the last 20 years his work took him to particle accelerators in the U.S. and Europe. He humored his family by explaining his work using elementary school language that we could understand. We loved showing off his publications even though none of us could get past the first few words. Still, the molecular diagrams were so cool!

To his professional colleagues around the world, our family offers our profound gratitude for looking beyond his deafness, his sometimes-quirky personality, and his ZZ Top beard, to see a penetrating intellect, a gentle spirit, and wickedly nuanced humor. My goodness, he was funny. I will miss that very much. At age four, Sergio contracted meningitis, which left him mostly deaf. With the support of many, including his parents, the League for the Hard of Hearing in New York City; the Garden City Central School District; Mrs. Barrett (4th Grade); Mrs. Block, (speech therapist) Mrs. Bongerzone (Jr. High School, Biology Department), to name a few, Sergio found advocates for his hearing disability. It takes a village and Sergio had many villagers pulling for his success. Your investment of patience and love produced a fine scientist and an incredible human being. Our family thanks you all.

In June of 2021, Sergio was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. He was treating at the University of Leuven Hospital Gasthuisberg Campus where he had surgery to remove a large tumor. His surgery was followed by radiation and chemotherapy. Even though he was still undergoing chemotherapy at the time of his death, by the end of December 2021, his CT imaging showed he was cancer-free. We were all looking forward to a period of remission. He was looking forward to getting back to work and to returning to the United States to reunite with family and friends. Although Glioblastoma is a grim diagnosis, Sergio viewed brain cancer more as something around which to calculate instead of an inevitability. He coolly observed that his diagnosis was "problematic", but he never resigned himself to it.

Sergio's family will celebrate his life at a gathering in the late Spring on a date and time to be determined, to which all are invited.

In lieu of flowers, we have a special place in our hearts for the Center for Hearing and Communication, formerly the League for the Hard of Hearing, in New York City, where Sergio first began speech and hearing therapy following his recovery from meningitis. Donations can be made by mail at: Center for Hearing and Communication, 50 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10004.

Here are excerpts from an email chain that was created shortly after his death. Contributors' names are bolded at the top of their writing.

Raul Martinez

Hello Everyone.

For those new to this email chain, I used it with Sergio's permission to provide occasional progress reports on his recovery from surgery in June of 2021 for a glioblastoma tumor. None of us were expecting the news we received of his death a few days ago. I am sorry for all of you. He loved his family and family friends and he genuinely loved being with you.

I'm communicating with all the necessary parties in Belgium, and will soon travel there with Heidi to handle affairs.

The intention is to return to home with his ashes and to schedule a Celebration of Life in the spring when things warm up. Sergio was not at all religious. So for now, we are not planning a Mass. Although, he'd probably tolerate a Mass if it gave solace to others. So, while a Mass is not in the works, it is not off the table, at least not yet.

Meanwhile, this is a time for reflection, and I offer one of mine.

In high school, Sergio and I would occasionally meet in In-School Suspension. The idea behind In-School Suspension was to keep suspended students confined to a classroom all day instead of sending them home where they might have some fun. (Confession: Sergio and I got suspended every once in a while). Our In-School Suspension meetings were not synchronized to occur together, nor were they voluntary, of course. I was there because I cut classes to play guitar. Sergio was there because when he was bored in class, he would turn off his hearing aids to muffle out his teachers and read material that interested him instead. I don't believe his teachers were actually annoyed, but if they let one kid completely tune out, then . . .

I always loved the irony of being suspended from school for studying.

R.

Carolina Castellanos

Will miss him so so so much, Raul.

No words. It’s still such a shock as I’m sure it is to the rest of the family.

Safe travels. Thanks for sharing that awesome story.

.. The last time I saw Sergio, we found miniature toy dinosaurs on a trail lol..and hung out with my dog Charlotte ..while setting up the dinosaurs for the next hikers to find.

Love,

Caro

Carlos Alvarez

Once on a hike in the Adirondacks, Victor Sergio and myself attempted a late season assault on Tabletop mountain. Late Friday night drive up. Back in the days when there weren’t smart phones to pinpoint the weather. And the weather wasn’t good. Camped by the car. The wind sounded like 747s flying over the tents. Next day Victor led the charge, Sergio was in the middle and I was behind Sergio. It poured, the wind blew hard, half way up it turned to ice and then snow. The trail turned into a waterfall. I watched Sergio trudge up, buckets of water pouring into his boots. His white wool sweater sagging down to his knees. We weren’t prepared. Near the top Sergio and I turned around and went back to our leanto. Once we all settled down, changed clothes, ate dinner we settled down to the usual accoutrements, cigars (Victor/Carlos), whiskey (Victor/Carlos), good conversation (all of us). It was a spectacular trip. And 99 percent of the people I know would never agree to any trip to the Adirondacks. But Sergio was always willing. I think there were at least three more trips after that one. I’ll miss you Sergio.

Love,

Carlos

Ani Nappa

One of my favorite Sergio memories is from Crandon Lakes, where Abuela and Abuelo had the house when we were young. Sergio joined Mom and the Alvarez siblings to spend a week one summer and I remember Sergio was about 10 or 11 years old. One afternoon we were at the public beach and there was a floating raft way out in the deep end. Sergio really wanted to swim out to the raft and my mother, after saying no a few times finally gave in and let him swim out to the raft. Sergio made it to the raft but it tired him out and he was nervous about swimming back to shore. Sergio called to my mother asking what should he do, and my Mom was screaming at the top of her lungs, "stay there, don't swim back" waving her arms at him to stay put while trying to figure out a plan to get Sergio back to shore safely. Sergio did rest a bit and eventually swim back to shore. I vaguely recall there was a lifeguard there but I don't remember what they did. The back and forth with Mom and Sergio was quite a sight.

I also have great memories of playing Slaughter in Park Ridge with Sergio when we were in our early teens. Sergio always found the best hiding spots in the backyard and it would take whoever was "it" a long time to find him. His hiding spots were so good that one time he fell asleep in the bushes he was hiding in because no one could find him.

Love you, Sergio.

Love to all,

Ani

Sophia Nappa

A few years ago Sergio and Victor invited me to join them to march in the 2019 NYC Climate Strike. We all met up and headed down to battery park together chanting, marching, and chatting. As we were marching, Victor went up to a girl holding a ‘believe scientists’ poster and pointed at Sergio saying “we’ve got one right here!” And we heard some cheers around us. When we reached battery park, Victor and I heard a person calling out Sergio’s name, as we pointed out this person to him he exclaimed that she was an old colleague of his and we walked over. Suddenly we were talking to a group of excited scientists that were old friends of Sergio’s.

I feel such privilege to have grown up with Sergio as a role model. Here is a picture of Sergio from that day at the march with a great smile that we all knew so well.

Love you, uncle Sergio.

Sending everyone my love,

Sophia

Carlos Castellanos

And my all-time Sergio favorite (in three parts, like a Series):

Part I

When Sergio was in high school, I went on a regular visit to Garden City and noticed two Marijuana plants in clay pots on either side of the front door of the house. It was a sunny day and Conchita told me that Sergio said it was a Science experiment and she was dutifully taking the plants out for a few hours of sun every day and returning them to his room. I did the only morally correct thing and stifled my laughter and kept my mouth shut.

We all know about Sergio's lifelong dedication to Science and admired him for it.

Intermission

Soon after, there was an increase in correspondence between Garden City and Park Ridge. Each time a letter arrived and was read, there was hysterical laughter on the second floor or Park Ridge. It didn't take long for eagle-eyed Ana Maria (not that she would have recognized a Marijuana plant anyway) to suspect some funny business. She intercepted a letter and Sergio was busted.

But that was just a bump on the road.

Part II

It seems the plants resurfaced, this time in the flower beds in front of the house. But I heard that Carlos Lago paid a visit and, being an expert on Botany, recognized them and Sergio was busted.

Part III

When Sergio graduated from high school, his parents organized a very nice barbecue at Garden City. When I arrived, Sergio (and maybe Raul and Emilio, but I can't remember) asked me if I wanted to see something in the basement. Of course I did. We went through the finished part of the basement into the laundry area. Above the washer and dryer was a glass casement window that probably led to the outside before the house was expanded with a room, so the window now opened into a crawl space about two feet high. And, you guessed it, the crawl space had been transformed, in the name of Science of course, into a terrarium filled with Marijuana plants, complete with grow lamps and an irrigation system.

Scientific curiosity, Perseverance and a wicked sense of humor; Sergio had it all...

Suzy Arthur nee Lago

Suzy here. I can’t get that lovable guy out of my head. This world was certainly better with him in it and all he was doing for mankind with his scientific research.

To Carlos Castellanos I will confirm that my Dad did bust them on the pot plants about which he still chuckles about. However, in his memory it was our beloved Raul who was the suspect. Now I am the one laughing knowing the true Mastermind behind it all.

My two favorite memories of Sergio are this. First is his fantastic telescope that he built and showed us when we were just kids. He introduced my brother and I to the marvels of the moon- our mouths completely agape.

The second is of my exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in DC in 1996. He took the time to send me a long letter about all my paintings. Deciphering one by one what they meant to him. I still have that letter.

Can’t believe he is gone. He and I commiserated often about our brain tumor experiences. In my mind that put us in a special club together.

Sending all of you who miss him my prayers & love.

Suzy

Carlos Castellanos

To Suzy,

Thank you for confirming it was your Dad that busted them. And, yes, I think we all know that Raul was a Mastermind if not The Mastermind....

I struck up a friendship in New York years ago with a man who, it turned out, lived across the street from the Martinez in Garden City. His name was Rembrandt George. I found out he was their neighbor when he told me how the outside light over his front door would blow up into a thousand pieces periodically. He called an electrician to check if there was something wrong with the wiring but no issues. Then, one day he happened to notice the barrel of a pellet gun protruding from a second story window in the house across the street.....Raul. I laughed and said, "I am his uncle." So an honorable mention for Raul, who took such great care of Sergio during his illness and treatments.

Raul Martinez

On a subject of historical importance such as this, it is appropriate to give credit where credit is due.

I did not possess the ingenuity to stage a mini pot farm in the crawl space beneath the house extension. If I provided the seeds of inspiration, that's all the credit I can claim. It was a thing of beauty. Bright light from suspended bulbs with aluminum foil along the walls to maximize reflection. Moist air. Rows of healthy, leafy, lime-green, potted plants. They looked so happy! The only thing missing was the Reggae music. When the plants got too big, they needed planting outside.

And you all know the rest.

Busted.

R.

Chris Abouchar

My dear Martinez-Castellanos (affiliated) family,

For some it has been a very long time since we last were in touch, but I hold you in my heart and feel blessed that you are a part of my life at some point. The Martinez’s have been throughout, and Sergio included as the youngest Martinez. Sadly, I am connecting with you now because of our huge loss.

My memories and life experiences with Sergio are so many, but I will always warmly remember one that stands out...

We were in high school and inside the room Raul and Sergio shared at 10 College Pl was a fish tank - on Sergio’s side. It was Sergio’s "side” because Raul had laid down silver Duct Tape on the floor and up the side walls to separate the two domains, and declared anything of Sergios that was on his side would be put in the trash. This fish tank looked more like a miniature marshland and devoid of any apparent animals. It might have been easy to think of it as something you may see on a Hoarders reality TV show, but this tank had a pretty sophisticated light system, a cover with holes that were purposely created, and clearly looked like whatever the reason the empty thing existed, it really mattered. So I asked him “Serge, what is this tank (for)?”. To which he looked at me straight in the eyes and said with a passioned but subdued excitement that was anything but subdued in his expression: ”I am growing bacteria”.

Love to all,

Chris

Victor Alvarez

The last time I saw Sergio was in 2019. We met on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and spent about an hour in the museum. After that we were going to split and go our own separate ways, but instead I asked him if he wanted to grab a citibike and ride down to the Village. When he agreed to this plan I wasn't surprised. Sergio has spent much of his adult life hearing me dare him to do something and often doing it (to his credit he did say "no" at least once). Over the years I have seen him accept the dare to hike up a 4,000 foot mountain (he attempted four times and reached the summit two of the four), accept the dare to bike ride through Paris and New York, accept the dare to cross country ski, and accept the invitation to march at the climate change protest in New York City as our resident scientist.

l wasn't surprised that day because he kept accepting my invitations (although some of them did kick his ass). So we got two citibikes and rode down to Greenwich Village and it was not a straightforward ride. There were a few close calls but no one wiped out. We went to Cafe Reggio on McDougal Street for a cappuccino and more pleasant conversation, and that was the last time I saw him...a very fond memory.

Cheers,

Victor

Heidi Martinez

Since I joined the Martinez family, Sergio has always had a special place in my heart. Part of the reason why, was the similarities between Sergio and my beloved father, who passed not long after I joined the “clan Cubano.” My dad was also a scientist – he had a PhD in pharmacology and a medical degree – and he devoted his life to the study and teaching of pathology. He had the same gentleness of spirit, thirst for knowledge and insatiable curiosity that our Sergio had. And the same wicked sense of humor and streak of independence.

They even shared a lack of locks on top and a corresponding love of beards:

Two differences to note: My dad never braided his beard (Sergio’s most recent style statement) or combed his hair, but he most definitely would have approved of Sergio’s sense of style!

I am so proud of what he achieved, but what I love most about Sergio is that he did it HIS way.

Heidi

Mari Baguer

Oh Heidi - Sergio and your Dad were separated at birth!!! What wonderful photos!

Dear Martinez, Alvarez, Castellanos, Abouchar familias - It has been too long since I have been able to see you and I am so, so sorry for you, and for the loss of beloved Sergio. Thank you for sharing these pictures and funny stories - am enjoying all these great memories. I am remembering the times back when our Moms would need mutual babysitting and would "exchange kids" between College Place and Prescott Street. When Sergio would be sent over to our house, our next door neighbors at the time, the Hannons (family of 5 kids and constant companions of Arti and Migue), were not familiar with, nor could pronounce (try as they might), the name "Sergio". So he became affectionately known as "Sir John" on Prescott Street. I don't know if Sergio minded being called Sir John, or if after a while it was just not worth correcting them anymore, or if the name "Sir John Martinez" was too great to give up, but Sergio, in his characteristic good natured way, just went with it. When I would spend days at the Martinez', I remember hanging out in the basement with Sergio, him showing me something in a book he was fascinated with and very patiently trying to explain it to me, even though I would have no hope of understanding. We were the same age and we would always compare what we were learning about in school . His patience and kindness was endless, and he always made me feel at home. I am picturing his friendly big smile and his beautiful Kika-Conchi colored hair. He was the best. Love you always Sergio, Mari (Baguer)