Mary V. Martinez, who lived a quiet life dedicated to caring for her parents, children, and grandchildren, died at Royal Falmouth Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Jan. 13, 2025 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 92.

The daughter of Provincetown natives Manuel E. and Lucy Brown, Mary was born in Boston on July 11, 1932. With her four siblings, she grew up in Provincetown, where she remained throughout her life. “She was part of the backbone of the town,” said her son E.J. “Her life was her family and her church.”

As a young girl, she and her friends painted scenes on seashells, and while the local boys dived for change thrown from the incoming Boston ferry, the girls would sell the shells to tourists as they came off the boat. She loved to walk, especially out along the breakwater toward Wood End Light.

While still in high school, she met Elias “Joe” Martinez, a farm boy from southwestern Colorado serving in the Coast Guard as the lighthouse keeper at Wood End in the late 1940s. The two would meet on the breakwater. They married before Mary graduated. “Mary’s two sisters each married a Navy guy,” E.J. noted.

Joe served in the Coast Guard for 20 years, as keeper at the Race Point Lighthouse and from 1962 to 1965 at Highland Light in Truro. They had five children, four boys and a girl, Lucy, who died from respiratory failure when she was one.

E.J. remembers the Highland Light years fondly. “How many kids get to live in a lighthouse?” he said.

Joe also worked for Perry’s Liquors in the West End while Mary tended to family matters, caring for her mother as she aged and cooking and cleaning for her active brood of sons. “My mom always used a wringer washer,” said E.J., “and she would hang the clothes in back of the house to dry. Taking care of us was her full-time job.”

Mary loved to be at home, E.J. said, but she had a small circle of friends whom she met for coffee. She attended Mass at St. Peter the Apostle Church, going daily during Lent with one of her close friends. At the holidays, “she loved fruitcake,” E.J. recalled, “especially with cream cheese.”

With her children grown and out of the house, Mary kept it ready for their weekend visits and for frequent visits from her grandchildren. “When she would babysit us,” her granddaughter Katie Brandt said, “she aways gave us maple walnut ice cream. I don’t know why.”

Katie also remembers Mary’s love of walking through town, stopping to browse at yard sales. “She wasn’t looking for anything special,” Katie said. “She just had a general curiosity.”

“My mom was committed to a certain way of life,” said E.J., “which made some things difficult.” She was not happy that E.J. got into motorcycle racing, for instance. She once went to see him race in Middleborough but couldn’t watch and left before the race was over.

Mary is survived by her sons, Elias Jr. and wife Cheryldine of Provincetown and Kevin of Alpine, Calif.; and her daughter-in-law, Mary Martinez (Arthur’s wife) of Truro. She is also survived by 9 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband, Joe; her daughter, Lucy; and her sons Arthur “Quahog” Martinez and Samuel and wife Brenda Martinez.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Provincetown.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Provincetown Firemen’s Association at 25 Shank Painter Road, Provincetown 02657.