Sally Friday Martz

Sally Friday Martz, a 63-year resident of the South Bay, passed away on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 in Torrance, California. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sally was 84 years old when she died. She was a member of St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church. She was an upbeat, positive person who loved her family and her friends, and most of all, she loved to laugh.

After raising her four children, she volunteered at Trinity Care Hospice. She then pursued and earned a Masters degree in Social Work from Long Beach State in order to become a Hospice social worker. Prior to that, she attended St. Mary’s College in Indiana, Marymount College in Palos Verdes, and Cal State Dominguez Hills, where she received her Bachelors degree. In addition to Hospice social work, she led bereavement groups, was in charge of the bereavement ministry, and served as a Eucaristic Minister at St. Lawrence.

Sally, inspired by her father, continually looked for opportunities to help others and she was involved in numerous projects throughout her adult life. She sponsored a refugee family from Viet Nam and oversaw their settlement in Southern California. She was also instrumental in raising funds for the construction of a Catholic church in Africa. She continually came to the aid of people suffering from homelessness, poverty, and mental and physical illness.

Sally enjoyed travelling with her husband and her life-long friends. They visited many places around the world including the Caribbean, several countries in Europe, Alaska, Hawaii, and South Africa, where she participated in a medical mercy program.

Sally is survived by her husband of 63 years David, her four children, Stephanie (Glenn) Horiuchi, Carey Martz, Charles (Kanako) Martz, Andrew (Anne) Martz, her six grandchildren, Christopher Horiuchi, his wife Andrea, and Sally’s great-grandson Ronan, Alyssa Horiuchi, Jonathan Martz, Owen Martz, Justin Martz, Jillian Martz, her sister Gloria Thielemann, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by seven of her eight siblings.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, September 17, at 1:00pm at St. Lawrence Marty Catholic Church in Redondo Beach. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Providence Trinity Care Hospice.