| CURIA GENERALIZIA MARIANISTI August 11, 2004 Death Notice No. 20 (To all Unit Administrations) The Province of Madrid recommends to our fraternal prayers our dear Brother, JULIÁN MARTÍNEZ ALBAINA, who died in the service of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 7, 2004, in Cullera (Valencia) in the 81st year of his age and the 63th year of his religious profession. Julián Martínez Albaina was born October 18, 1923 in Ladrera in the Province of Burgos. He entered the Postulate in Vitoria in December of 1936. He made his novitiate in Elorrio and professed first vows there on September 12, 1941. He continued his studies in Segovia and Caerabanchel Alto (Madrid). Some years later, in 1953, he completed his Licentiate in History. Before that, in 1947, he made his perpetual profession. From the time he made first vows, Julián intended to be faithful to his Marianist vocation. He had more than 60 years of efforts, tenacity and giving himself to his mission, 50 of them totally dedicated to the teaching activity. He was a teacher in Escoriaza, Pillar school in Madrid, Ciudad Real, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Tetuán, the Rodríguez Fabrés Foundation in Salamanca, and finally from 1971 to 1993 at Santa María del Pilar. During all this time he was dedicated uninterruptedly to the work of teaching with the exception of five years from 1964 to 1969 when he was the administrator of the school in Jerez. His licentiate enabled him to give classes in History. Through work and dedication he was also a good teacher of Latin and Greek. When he turned 70 he slowed down the usual rhythm of his classes but continued doing whatever he could, from substituting for a sick teacher to helping to do computer work. After breakfast ever day he went to the Teachers’ Room in case someone would need him for something. At the end of the day he spoke with satisfaction about the work he had done during the day. He continued with all of the force of character he had showed in his younger and later years to continue being useful for whatever was at hand. Like many other people, as he aged Julián became more human: he knew how to appreciate what was worth while, recognized serenely his limitations, but at the same time wanted to be useful and offer his services to others. Julián is one of those persons who knew how to work into the new ways of information when it would seem that his age would not help him in this new learning. His youthful spirit and his constancy made it possible. He was happy with the progress he had made. He was overjoyed at being able to respond by e-mail to the congratulations of the Provincial for his 60th anniversary of religious profession. The collaboration with the summer course in Dublin is another example of his perseverance: for 30 years he accompanied the Spanish students who took advantage of the months of July and August to learn English. He shared in the educational activities and the welfare of the whole group. He always enjoyed good health. In the summer of 2000 when he was spending some days in Cullera (Valencia) with his brother Marcos and his sister-in-law Ana, he had to be urgently operated on for an internal hemorrhage which brought him to the brink of death. After recovering from his illness he once again showed his vitality and energy. He was very careful about his health. Rain or shine, hot or cold, he walked every afternoon in Retiro park very close to the Santa María del Pilar community in Madrid where he lived. This summer he wanted to spend some days again with his brother. On
Saturday the 7th he went to the beach in the morning. A heart attack
took his life while he was still at the edge of the water. The emergency
services could not revive him. We know that Julián is now closer
to the Father who always loved him and was very near to him all his
life. |