Page 51 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2023 - Online Magazine

LOCAL LEGENDS

The family celebrated my mom’s 80th This is a picture of my two grown sons, Joe and Kevin
birthday. These are her 10 children. as well as my two little brothers, Joe and Jesse.

riding his bike at 9:00 am.” It took LPD several hours
to notify her because Sandy had no ID with him. They
A beloved teacher at Lubbock High, Nelda Jobe, helped finally identified him because of his LHS ‘75 class ring.
Janie fill out applications and get assistance, and she Her coworker drove her to the hospital where the only
was accepted to Tech. “My father had predicted I would thing Janie could do was say goodbye to her sweetheart.
be a student there someday. In 1975, I started at Texas
Tech, and I married my high school sweetheart, Rosendo She had never even thought about organ donation, but
‘Sandy’ Martinez. I earned a degree in Business and got in the last minutes of her young husband’s life, she knew
a good job. Sandy loved the restaurant industry and had it was what he would want. Thanks to her decision and
a bright future. We had two sons, Joe and Kevin, and a the blessing of her brave young sons, dozens of people
wonderful life.” benefitted from Sandy’s LifeGift.

One October afternoon in 1990, Janie was hurrying to Once again, Janie had to pick up the pieces and start
finish her work because Sandy was taking her out that over. But she did, just as Pop had taught her. Her boys
evening to celebrate his recent promotion. He had the were 10 and 7, and the single mom modeled her father’s
day off. “A friend came into my office to tell me there’d legacy of perseverance, as well as Sandy’s generosity.
been an accident. Sandy had been hit by a car while She continued in her job as Operations Manager at Dun
& Bradstreet until 1994 and started her own private
school called ComputerTUTOR. She remarried and
found happiness a second time. Isidro Ramirez had three
children, so Janie put on the stepmom hat. They called
themselves “the Magnificent 7.”

In 1997, Janie took a position as Human Resources
Programs Coordinator at Texas Tech. A few months
later, an opportunity opened up in the new Office of
Diversity. When she met with Chancellor John Montford,
she commented, “This office still looks about the same.”

Miss Jobe followed my career for over 35 years. In
this picture, she came by the College of Education
to visit me. This picture was taken in the fountain
courtyard behind the Education building.

Lubbock Senior Link 51