Loretta "Juanita" Melendez (Martinez)

Loretta “Juanita” Melendez (Martinez), age 82, was born on September 8, 1943, in Del Norte, Colorado, to Maria Espinoza Martinez and Antonio B. Martinez. In 1957, her family moved to Utah, where she would build her life, raise her children, and remain for the rest of her years. She graduated from Ben Lomond High School in 1961. Loretta spent the majority of her career working in community care clinics, where she especially helped with bilingual services and formed meaningful connections with many people in the community. She passed away peacefully in her home in Washington Terrace, Utah, on May 15, 2026, surrounded by her loved ones.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her grandson, her sister, two brothers, and her parents.

Loretta is survived by her two children, Lorenzo D. Martinez and Juanita Martinez; her sister Maria (Mercy) Baca; six grandchildren; and thirteen great‑grandchildren.

Loretta was an amazing mother who devoted her life to raising and supporting her children. She was a wonderful grandmother whose love, humor, and strength shaped the lives of her grandchildren. Her presence was a source of comfort, and her guidance will continue to live on through the generations she leaves behind.