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Roberta was active in Job’s Daughters, the social and community group for girls and young women.

Roberta “Bobbi” Maxine Martinez (Buck), age 83, died July 15, 2026 at her home in Carson, California, of complications from cancer.

Roberta was born to Audrey and Robert Buck on November 3, 1942 in Long Beach, California and grew up in Wilmington. She was active in Job’s Daughters, the social and community group for girls and young women. Roberta was also a Pom Pom Girl in a local Marching Band where she made many lifelong friends. She graduated from Banning High School in 1960 and took some classes at Harbor College.

In 1962, she met Marcelino “Marty” Martinez, Jr. at the corner market in their community. Marcelino worked at the market and he mustered the courage to ask her on a date to go bowling. They dated for three years and eventually married on February 19, 1966 at Holy Family Catholic Church. They began their marriage by renting their first house across the street from Marcelino’s parents. A year later, their first daughter Deborah was born and a few years later they began looking for a bigger house. They found a house in Carson in 1969 where they spent the next 57 years calling it home. Their second daughter Claudine was born in 1973. They enjoyed living in their community, raising their daughters and cultivating relationships with their long-time neighbors.

Roberta worked for several years as a secretary at the aerospace company, McDonnell Douglas, during its heyday of manufacturing airplanes. When Claudine was born she decided to be a stay at home wife. Later on, when her kids were in school, she became involved in the PTA and eventually became the president of the PTA. She also was an active supporter of San Pedro YMCA Swimming where Claudine swam competitively. She created swim programs that included the swim times of everyone who participated in the swim meets throughout the year. Roberta took Claudine to many swim practices and swim meets all over Southern California.

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She enjoyed living in their community, raising their daughters and cultivating relationships with their long-time neighbors.

Grandchildren brought a wealth of happiness to Roberta and Marcelino. Alexandria and Alyssa would often come and visit them when they were babies. Christopher and Jonathan were able to be a big part of Roberta’s life. She watched them when they were young while Claudine was working. She went to their school music concerts, little league baseball games and soccer games. Roberta really enjoyed watching her grandsons play soccer and went to nearly all of their games. She was a big part of Christopher and Jonathan’s lives and they always knew Nana would be there for them.

Roberta also enjoyed being part of her social groups. For many years on Thursday mornings, she bowled on the St. Margaret Mary’s women's bowling league. She enjoyed the competitiveness and making new friends. She was also a member of her church guild where she enjoyed baking cookies, bread, and scones for various church events. Roberta also belonged to a bunco group where she enjoyed time with her friends.

Those who knew her, knew that she absolutely loved two things, aside from her kids and grandkids: the color orange and genealogy. Orange car, orange carpets, orange clothing. That was Roberta. She simply loved that color and couldn’t get enough of it. And she loved diving down rabbit holes of family history, looking for clues to fill in her family tree. She even traveled to places in Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky to track down ancestors. She filled binders upon binders with family tree information and her eyes lit up when she talked about it.

Roberta was a twice survivor of breast cancer and lived life to the fullest. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marcelino, to whom she was married for 52 years. She is survived by her brother Robert “Bob” Buck of Seattle, WA, daughters Deborah (Greg) Foreyt of Victorville, CA and Claudine (Bill) Valot of Torrance, CA and grandchildren Christopher and Jonathan Valot, Alexandria and Alyssa Valdez, and Aaron and Katrina Foreyt.

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Roberta really enjoyed watching her grandsons play soccer and went to nearly all of their games.

Viewing for Roberta will be held at Green Hills Cemetery from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12th.

Services for Roberta will be held on Thursday, August 13th at St. Margaret Mary Church in Lomita with a Rosary starting at 9:30 am and a Funeral Mass at 10:00 am. Internment will immediately follow at Green Hills Cemetery. Everyone is welcome to join us for a Celebration of Roberta’s Life Luncheon immediately following Internment at St. Margaret Mary St. Joseph Center.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or your favorite charity.