Montclair Councilwoman Trisha Martinez died Saturday evening, September 21, 2019, six months after her diagnosis with cervical cancer. She was 48.
A resident of Montclair since 1992, Martinez was a volunteer with numerous organizations prior to her successful 2014 run for city council. In addition to being active at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, where her children were students, she served with the Montclair Women’s Club for 12 years and was involved with Montclair’s Senior Nutrition Program for over 12 years.
Upon acceding to the council, taking the place of Leonard Paulitz, she assumed a leadership role as the council’s education coordinator and was energetic with regard to maintaining a close working relationship with the Chaffey Joint Union High School District and Ontario-Montclair School District. She advocated for student-pedestrian safety, child welfare, and college access programs including Montclair’s award-winning and first-of-its-kind, Montclair to College program ─ a city-sponsored free tuition and books program for graduating Montclair High School students to attend Chaffey College for up to two years.
In the arena of child welfare and pedestrian safety, Martinez was the prime mover for approval of Montclair’s second-in-the-nation Distracted Walking Law ─ an ordinance adopted by the city council in 2018 prohibiting the use of an electronic device, such as a smartphone, while crossing a public street.
As a councilwoman, Martinez pushed for increases to public safety personnel to ensure community safety, while promoting community-based policing as a means to reduce overall crime in the community and redirect juvenile behavior in positive ways. She was a primary sponsor of Montclair’s Police Explorer Program for youth between the ages of 14 and 20.
Moreover, Martinez involved herself directly in the city’s recreation, human services, youth and senior services programs. Of note was her volunteer participation with, and as a councilwoman her prompting of her council colleagues in funding, Montclair’s Senior Nutrition Program, which is widely recognized as one of the best in the region. Martinez also ensured senior citizens received a variety of free or reduced-cost services, including micro-transit and discounted refuse pick-up.
During her first four years as a city council member, she garnered appointments and served as a vociferous representative of her constituents on the city’s public works and code enforcement committees as well as in her capacity as a voting member of the boards for the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Omnitrans, and as an alternate member to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.
The onset of her illness was sudden and worsened rapidly. By late summer her usual energy and output had diminished, which saddened and concerned her friends and colleagues.
At her bedside in her final days, hours and minutes were her husband, Manny, and daughters Corysa and Nicola.  Martinez is also survived by her grandson Roman Cisneros, and his father and Corysa’s fiancé, Nick Cisneros.