December 12, 2023 |
Photo – Patrick Martinez – Courtesy Martinez Family Facebook
Rawlins officials are coping with the sudden death of the city’s long-serving landfill superintendent. Forty-two-year-old Patrick Martinez passed away on December 2nd. Martinez was the Landfill Superintendent. The city’s Community Development Director Lou Lascano said Martinez’s passing was unexpected. Lascano said Martinez oversaw landfill operations effectively for over 15 years.
In addition to running the landfill, Martinez was also responsible for managing the city’s recycling center. Lascano said Martinez ensured the city received the maximum amount of money from recycled waste.
Lascano said Martinez started working for the city over 15 years ago and eventually became Landfill Superintendent. Lascano said Martinez was very skilled at operating the heavy equipment at the landfill, especially his favorite bulldozer.
Lascano said the city is still coming to terms with Martinez’s untimely passing. The community development director said Landfill Foreman William Trimble and Recycling Center Superintendent Brian Smith will keep the city dump functioning until a new Landfill Superintendent can be found.
Both the Rawlins Landfill and Recycling Center will be closed this Saturday, December 16th, to allow staff to attend Martinez’s funeral. Lascano said as a sign of respect, the city will provide heavy equipment to participate in the funeral procession.
The Rosary for Martinez will be held on Friday, December 15, at 6:00 pm at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, December 16, at 10:00 am at Saint Joseph’s Catholic church followed by the burial. A reception will follow at the Masonic Temple, located at the corner of 5th and Pine Street.
Martinez’s oldest daughter, Josie, created a GoFundMe page asking for $4,000 to help pay for her father’s funeral expenses. As of yesterday morning, 38 people had donated a total of $4,025 to the Martinez family. A link to the GoFundMe site will be included with this story when it is posted to the Bigfoot99 website later today.
Martinez Family GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/drvjqx-patrick-martinez
