Martin Muñoz Mendoza

Martin Muñoz Mendoza, was born in his home in Clifton, Arizona on December 10, 1939. He was the last of six children, as his mother was widowed when she met his father Ramon R. Mendoza. Maria Muñoz Tavison married Ramon, who became stepfather to Maria's five children, then they had Martin. Martin was very loved and protected by his older siblings: Santos, Julio, Raymond, Henry and Luz. He learned a lot from them and he adored them. He was also very close to his niece and nephew, Tila and David Perez, they were very close in age and grew up more like siblings.

Martin grew up in Clifton, specifically Shannon Hill. He loved hunting, fishing, and was a football and basketball player. He ran track for Clifton High School and graduated in 1959. Besides being a Clifton Trojan, he loved the ASU Sun Devils and went to go see them play in the Rose Bowl in 1987. Martin was a barber in his younger years, then had a car accident in 1964, once recovered he worked for the Greenlee County Court House and then the Phelps Dodge mining corp as a sand plant operator. He became disabled and stopped working in 1985. He spent time volunteering at the Clifton Food Bank. As he grew older and started needing more medical help, his children moved him from Clifton to Chandler with his brother & caretaker Raymond Tavison in 2013. Both spent their remainng years in Chandler among family. Raymond passed away in 2020, and Martin was taken care of by his daughter Valerie and son Anthony. Martin spent his remainng years among his chldren and grandchildren by his side.

Martin was known for his generosity and willingness to help others, always offering and giving what little he had. He had a knack for befriendng anyone he met and always finding a common bond by striking up a conversation about sports. He was an avid sports fan, loved to watch the ASU Sun Devils, Arizona Diamondback, and the Phoenix Cardinals.

He especially loved his children and was very proud of their accomplishments, always bragging to everyone about them. His memory lives on in the lessons he taught and the love he shared with them. And as much as he loved his children, he always said how much he missed his hometown of Clifton, Arizona.

Martin suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on December 30, 2025, he was placed in hospice care January 01, 2026 through Hospice of the Valley at Dobson House. Martin passed away peacefully surrounded by family on January 04, 2026 at the age of 86 years old.

Martin was preceded in death by his father Ramon R. Mendoza and mother Maria Muñoz Mendoza, sisters Santos Perez and Luz Martinez, and his brothers Julio Tavison and Raymond Ravison. He is srvived by his brother Henry Tavison of Phenix, Arizona and his children Valerie Ann Cruz of Chandler, Arizona, Martin Anthony Mendoza (Elizabeth Mendoza) of Chandler, Arizona and Maria Carmen Mendoza of Tucson, Arizona. He is also survived by his 13 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren and many beloved nieces and nephew.

Services will be held on January 15, 2026, at Saint Andrews the Apostle Catholic Church, 3450 W. Ray Road, Chandler, AZ. Rosary will be held at 10:00 a.m. followed by mass at 10:30 a.m., he will be interred at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Clifton, Arizona on Saturday, January 17, 2026. Cremation services performed by All Options Funeral Home in Tempe, Arizona and the burial services performed by McDougal Caldwell Funeral Chapel in Safford, Arizona.