How to keep a dying family’s spirit alive

An 18-year-old man who was in hospice care died in May and was buried in a cemetery in Sonoma County, California.

Theodore Martinez was diagnosed with lung cancer in January and died in his sleep.

He had been in the hospice for more than three months, and his parents were very close to him.

In a touching obituary for Theodore, a doctor from the San Francisco Bay Area Medical Examiner’s office wrote, “Teddy Martinez loved life, loved to travel, loved music, loved his friends and family, and loved to sing.

He was a beautiful man and a wonderful son.

Teddy had a great spirit and will be missed greatly.”

He was buried on July 1 in Sonomac Valley Cemetery.

In the obit, Dr. Steven Hauslohner, the medical examiner, described Theodore as “a very kind, gentle, generous, loving, caring man who loved to help others.”

He served as the chief executive officer of a medical practice in San Francisco and worked at Sonoma Valley Hospital for three years.

Theodore also worked as a physician in his community, treating cancer patients and teaching medical residents.

He is survived by his parents, his sister and a brother.

His obit includes an obit explaining how his family lost a brother to cancer, and how Theodore was not only an outstanding father but also a kind and caring man.

Read more about Theodore Martinez, a man who had his own story to tell.