Celestino Martinez (1967-2001)
By Jaime Baiz, an alumnus and friend
Celestino was a fine human being, a trustworthy friend, and in my three years of knowing him, I came to realize he was a loving husband and a great father.
Celestino would always look for the experiences that would make his life meaningful, that would take him to extreme places or situations that would test his endurance. He liked mountain climbing, flying planes, going to Great America, wall climbing... He admired people who would never give up no matter what: Prefontaine, the survivors of the Andes crash, Vince Lombardi, to name a few. He would always try, he would carefully choose his battle ground and then give the fight of his life. And he was a winner.
Celestino also enjoyed spending time and sharing his skills and knowledge to anyone who approached him. He was a super TA in Decision Analysis and a great coach for squash. He involved a handful of friends in the game and always gave us lessons and tips with the most sincere personality. In particular, he always tried to convince me to enter tournaments as he did.
He spoke of facing not only an opponent but one-self: the most difficult one. I always excused myself saying that I wasn't prepared, that I liked squash as a game and as a way to share time with him, but not as a competitive activity. I guess I would let him down every time, but he would be understanding. He will probably laugh a little up in Heaven when he sees me this weekend struggling to stay alive in the Tournament.
Celestino had a fighting heart, and he trained to endure to the limit of his resistance and then some. He had the personality of a true leader, and would never give up. He was a loyal friend and very insightful in his thoughts and words. He made several friends even though he never made it a goal for him self to seek friends. We all came to him.
Celestino died in a plane crash from his native Venezuela to the US in June of 2001. Martinez is survived by his wife, Corina, two young daughters, and his brother, Armando Martinez Machado, also a Stanford graduate student.