Ryan Martinez

Ryan Martinez, 54, of Oshkosh passed away early Friday morning April 14, 2023 at his home in Oshkosh. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am MST Saturday April 29, 2023 at the Oshkosh Community Wesleyan Church with Pastor Bruce Neal officiating. Burial with military honors will be Monday, May 1 at 1:00pm CST at Ft McPherson Nation Cemetery near Maxwell, Nebraska. Visitation with the family present will be held Friday evening from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Holechek Bondegard Funeral Home in Oshkosh. A gathering of family and friends will follow the service at 3:00 pm at the Eagles Club in Oshkosh. Ryan was born June 18th, 1968 in Denver, Colorado. Following his birth, he was adopted by Maria Adella and Roberto Julian Martinez. He grew up in Brighton, Colorado with his siblings. Growing up, he loved being outdoors, fishing, and playing sports. He attended Brighton High School, where he graduated with the class of 1986. 8 days before his 18th birthday, Ryan chose to serve his country and joined the US Army as a 13B: Cannon Crew Member (aka Artillery). After completing Basic Training and AIT, Ryan was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Earning his Airborne Jump Wings and being part of the 82nd Airborne Division was always something Ryan was very proud of. After getting out of the Army, he met his first wife and moved to Florida. It was there he found his love for ocean life, especially deep sea fishing. While living in the South, he had three boys. During this time, Ryan tried out a few different careers, including working on a shrimp boat, cleaning barnacles from off-shore oil rigs, and even tried out being a baker. But then he found his true calling, cooking. In 2006, Ryan and his three boys moved to Oshkosh, Nebraska. Ryan started working at the Cabela’s Return Center in 2008. It was there he met the love of his life, Dana. Ryan and Dana’s families quickly became one. They married in 2015. A few years later in 2018, they decided to make their dreams come true and opened a restaurant of their own. Being the proud veteran he is, he named the restaurant The Patriot Grill. From their new business, he selflessly served his community of Oshkosh, Nebraska. The Patriot Grill was his dream come true. He adorned the place with a military themed setting and proudly displayed patches collected from his family and patrons alike. For fun, he was an avid golfer who spent his Mondays golfing at the local country club. Ryan was a loving and selfless father, a cherished husband and a fantastic grandfather. He loved spending time with his family and teaching his grandchildren new things. Ryan had a heart of gold and loved helping anyone he could. Those left to cherish Ryan’s memory include: His beloved wife Dana Martinez of Oshkosh, Nebraska. His children, Amanda (Martin) Schmidt of North Platte, Nebraska, Nathan (Angel) Martinez of Lincoln, Nebraska, Jesse Juarez of Oshkosh, Nebraska, Aaron Scott Martinez of Niceville, Florida and Trenton Martinez of Oshkosh, Nebraska. His grandchildren Bryce, Maddi, Braedyn, Jaxyn, Bellamy, Aubriella and Zelda. His siblings Lonny Martinez of Brighton, Colorado, Roberta Martinez of Brighton, Colorado, Vicente Martinez, and Julian Martinez His ex-wife, Ginger Martinez of Niceville, Florida