Martineau served family, community

Nap Martineau used to joke with his wife, Marian, that whenever they were looking to move she always surveyed potential neighborhoods to make sure they would be close to a Catholic church.

The Martineaus were a team for 56 years. They raised nine children, repeatedly took in foster kids — even adopting two of them — and ran a food bank together after he retired from Boeing.

When Napoleon Martineau died Wednesday (Jan. 22), his wife and several of their children were at his side. They had been celebrating Mrs. Martineau's 81st birthday and had gathered at Mr. Martineau's nursing home in Bothell that night.

Mr. Martineau, the son of French-Canadian immigrants, was born and raised in Seattle. After graduating from Seattle Preparatory School in 1938, he attended Seattle University. He left college to serve in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Upon his return to Seattle, his parents threw him a party. It was during this homecoming event that he met his future wife.

Mr. Martineau briefly returned to Seattle University but left to take a position at Boeing.

When he was laid off in the early 1970s, Mr. Martineau again returned to Seattle U. He balanced his studies with parenting nine children and working nights as a security guard. He returned to Boeing upon graduation and worked in the human-resources department.

When Mr. Martineau retired in 1982, he and his wife bought a small plot of land in Shelton and lived in a three-bedroom house they built with the help of their children.

After volunteering at The Saint's Pantry food bank in Shelton, the Martineaus agreed to run it themselves. Later they were nominated for the Archdiocese of Seattle Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen Humanitarian Award for their food-bank work.

"My parents are very, very tied to that good-work paradigm that the Catholic faith is so centered on," said Mr. Martineau's son, Peter Martineau, who works for the U.S. Public Health Service in Washington D.C. "They were the embodiment of that ... they didn't know of any other way."

Martineau is survived by his wife; children, Julie Sundet, Peggy Evans, Mary Anne King, Paul Martineau, John Martineau, Barbara Kulesa, Peter Martineau, Marie Sanders and Daniel Martineau; 23 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and brother Joseph Martineau.

Mr. Martineau's children said he had asked people to pay their remembrances by donating to a food bank or favorite charity.

A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 220 Mountain Park Blvd. S.W. in Issaquah.

Jennifer Sullivan: 425-783-0604 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com.