Phyllis Buchanan Martinkus

Phyllis Buchanan Martinkus passed away peacefully in Long Beach, California on November 7, 2025. Phyllis was born on June 19, 1950, to parents Phyllis and Billy Roberts. She acquired her lifelong nickname “Fa Fa” when her toddler brother Tim couldn’t pronounce “Phyllis” and thus, the legend was born. Along with Tim, she was raised with her brother John in Carson, California. As a child, she loved roller-skating and playing with her cousins Ron, Marsha, Celest, and Billy.

Fa graduated from Carson High School in 1968, and attended Long Beach City College. Around this time, she was introduced to her future husband, Richard Martinkus, through mutual friends. Fa and Richard wed on June 30, 1973. They enjoyed many adventures together, including going to concerts, before having a daughter, Diana, in 1982, and a son, Gregory, in 1986. As a family, they often took vacations together to Las Vegas and central California.

Fa began working at Kaiser Permanente at the age of 16 in the surgery scheduling department. Being the intelligent and driven woman that she was, she worked her way through various positions, finally settling in the IT Department, learning Six Sigma project management and database management. But after 49 years with the company, the real fun began when Fa retired from Kaiser in 2015.

In her retirement, Fa cherished spending time with her wonderful granddaughter Jade. Fa also loved supporting her favorite WNBA team, the Los Angeles Sparks, and was a season ticket holder for many years. Friends and family remember Fa as intelligent, funny, and incredibly giving. She was artistic, skilled at painting ceramic figures and had a deep appreciation of the works of Van Gogh, especially his painting “Irises.” She loved action movies, mystery novels, and country music. Her infectious laugh and warm smile will be deeply missed. We honor her journey, we cherish her memory, and we celebrate the enduring mark she has left upon this world. Rest in peace, dear Fa, until we meet again.