I am writing this with so much pain and asking for any help to relieve my family’s funeral costs of my father who passed away on 8/4/25.

My father, Gilbert Martinez, was diagnosed with stage 4 salivary gland metastatic cancer in March of 2025. My dad was the healthiest person I knew. He outnumbered young guys in doing pull-ups, ran every morning at Schabarum Park, and went to the gym 4-5 times a week.

My dad was a very devout Catholic. He was a great husband to my mom for 42 years. He was a very loving and present father to my brothers Gilbert Jr and James, and I, his daughter Mary. He was an incredibly caring grandfather to his 5 grandbabies. He did anything and everything to give us what we needed. He sacrificed a lot for us.

My dad’s cancer spread fast and violently. He went from a healthy 165 lbs in March to 102lbs, during his passing. He was too weak to be put on any treatment as he could barely eat or drink anything. When my dad’s cancer spread, he suffered during these last few months. It was incredibly painful to watch him go through all of this and knowing the outcome, but still, we prayed for a miracle. We have a lot of faith in God and ultimately, He decided that my father would join Him in Heaven without any more suffering.

My dad did not have a cemetery plot set up as he didn’t like the idea of death. My dad's passing came at a hard time for our family as his sister passed away in January and my grandpa a week and a half before my father.

I am humbly asking for any help during this very difficult time for our family. We were not prepared for this by any means. Thank you to everyone who can give, and if not, please share. God Bless.