John Allen Martinez, Jr

John Allen Martinez, Jr. was born January 3, 1980 in Landstuhl, Germany. The child of an Air Force airman, his childhood was spent in Germany, New Mexico, California, Turkey, and Louisiana. He and his siblings, Kelly, Corina and Glenn, had many places they called home, but eventually settled in Zwolle, Louisiana. He earned a Certified Nurses' Assistant degree and worked on other trades at Natchitoches Technical School. During his time in Natchitoches, he met Melanie Melancon, of Shreveport, and they married on April 13, 2001 in Zwolle, Louisiana. John Allen, as his family lovingly referred to him, and Melanie had four sons: twins, John Allen, III (Trey) and Caleb Michael, Noah Anthony, and Patrick Ryan Martinez. John Allen made his home with his wife and sons in Natchitoches and later in Marthaville, Louisiana. He joined the United States Army in 2010 and served bravely for four years. In the Army, John Allen first attended basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia and was then stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado. He courageously fought in Operation Enduring Freedom during the War on Terror in Afghanistan. He earned many commendations and medals during his years of service, including an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 2 Stars and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. After being Honorably Discharged from the US Army, John Allen commenced furthering his education at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He began to study Psychology and wanted to use his experiences and adventures to help others. To John Allen, his friends and family were everything. During his younger years, he would don a kilt and enjoy medieval reenactment events with friends in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). He often surprised his wife with heart-shaped pancakes or treats for her to share with her coworkers. He enjoyed spending time with his boys and beamed with pride at their amazing accomplishments. You could often find John Allen tromping through the woods with a machete, blazing future trails to explore with his family. There was never a time when he wasn't up for starting a big bonfire to enjoy relaxing with his family and friends. He would drop everything when a friend called and needed help with any type of project. He enjoyed being able to help his father and other family members with maintenance of houses or cars. He loved teaching his boys about auto mechanics and made sure each of them was prepared to do routine maintenance and more for a vehicle. He left this Earth on March 18, 2020 at the young age of 40. Left to mourn his loss are his wife and four sons, of Marthaville. He is survived by his father, John A. Martinez, Sr. of Zwolle, and mother, Charlotte Denise Wilson of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is also survived by his sister, Kelly Charlene of Albuquerque, New Mexico, brother, Glenn Patrick Martinez and wife, Joanie Martinez of Zwolle, mother and father-in-law, Mike and Sue Melancon, of Shreveport, brother and sister-in-law, Chris and Lindsey Melancon of Haughton, and a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Gilbert Martinez, Jr. and Willie Mae of Zwolle, his sister, Corina Christelle, grandmother-in-law, Virginia Dixon Melancon Bonnette of Natchitoches, and grandfather-in-law, James A. Pearce of Bossier City. A private family service was held on Monday, March 23 at Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Mansfield led by Father John Paul Crispin and Deacon Bill Kleinpeter. A memorial service in honor of his life will be held at a later date.