My late Best friend, John Martinez

                                                   John Martinez
By kiki

In mid-1993, my best friend, John Martinez, was diagnosed with blood cancer (Leukemia); at that time, Connie and I were living in San Diego. One day I received a phone call from John's wife, Bea; she told me about John having cancer and that the doctors had told John that he had less than a year to live. We invited John and Bea to come down to San Diego and spend some weekends with us (They were living in Lake Elsinore, which was about 50 miles from us), and they did. One weekend in early 1994, they came, and we drove down to Puerto Nuevo in Baja California, Mexico, so that John, Bea, and Connie could have lobster (Not me, I don't like seafood) while we were eating; I ask John if he would enjoy a beer or a drink, he told me the doctors told him not to drink alcoholic beverages, I then asked John,

"What else did the doctors tell you?"

"Not to smoke and to kiss my ass goodbye," said John

"John," I said, "the doctors told you not to smoke, and you're still smoking like a train, so have a drink."

He did, then had another one; after that, we hired a mariachi group for the rest of the day, and nite, John had the mariachi sing the song "De Colores" more times than I can remember. John and I had a great time reminiscing about our boxing travels.

My best friend died 5 months later - R.I.P, my friend.