Lydia "Lilly" Martinez

Lydia “Lilly” Martinez was born on November 24, 1960, to Jose and Concha Martinez in Lindsay, California. She was raised alongside five sisters and six brothers.

In 1977, Lilly met the love of her life, Henry Reyes. Together they had seven children: Jessica, Monic, Henry “Beaver,” Eric, Vincent, Yvette, and Estevan. She was a stay-at-home mother raising her children with love, care, unwavering support and always put her family first.

As her children grew older and began bringing friends into her home, Lilly naturally became a mother figure to many. Her kindness, wisdom, and open heart earned her the cherished title of “Mama Lilly,” a name she proudly carried for the rest of her life. Mama Lilly's greatest joy was her family. She was blessed with 13 grandchildren: Precious, Cerina, Tino, Camille, Makayla, Eric Florence, Pops, Reyes, Audrina, Elgin, Bon Bon, Eric, and Wolf. She was also blessed with eight great-grandchildren: Neveah, Nani, Alex, PJ, Victoria, Ella, Leo, and Damion. Each of them held a special place in her heart.

Mama Lilly proudly served the China’s Alley customers for more than 20 years. Through her dedication and friendly spirit, she formed lasting friendships with people who quickly became like family. Her warm smile and genuine kindness left a lasting impression on everyone she met.

Mama Lilly loved spending time at the casino with her family and friends and even had her favorite machines that always seemed to bring her good luck.

She was notoriously known as the “Tamale Queen.” Anyone fortunate enough to taste her tamales knows this to be true and it even became official when she won a tamale contest in Fresno.

Mama Lilly had a gift for making people feel welcomed and loved. She would always go the extra mile to help anyone and never knew a stranger.

Though her absence leaves an immeasurable void, her legacy of love, strength, kindness and witty comebacks will always be remembered. Mama Lilly will be missed tremendously, and leaves behind many with treasured memories.

Viewing: June 16, 2026, 2pm - 7pm. Rosary at 6pm, Web Sanders Funeral Home, Lindsay CA.

Funeral Mass: June 17, 2026, 9am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Lindsay. CA followed by Interment at Lindsay-Strathmore Cemetery.

Webb Sanders & Smith Funeral Home, Lindsay

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