In Memoriam: Deborah Martinez-Garibay

Born on September 2nd in 1978, Deborah Martinez-Garibay was killed in the line of duty on August 25th, 2022 while serving an eviction notice as a Pima County Constable. She was a wife, a mother, a daughter, a US veteran, a community organizer, and a public servant who will be forever remembered for her compassion and drive.

After 9/11, Deborah enlisted in the US army and served for 16 years. After being injured in Afghanistan, she came back to Tucson and served her fellow veterans through several programs, including PGA H.O.P.E. where she served as an ambassador. This program allowed her to combine her passion for golf and her dedication to fellow veterans by helping reintegrate at-risk veterans back into the local community. According to veteran Gordon Grant, she was ″Just a tremendous person, always thinking of others and looking toward helping others in so many different ways.” In 2019, Deborah was honored for her work and received a vehicle from the Recycled Ride program.

Her family remembers her as an outgoing, outspoken activist whose laughter “could fill an entire room and consumed her entire body.” Her life will be remembered as dedicated to the service of her country and her community, and our deepest condolences are to her friends and family for this devastating loss.

“The biggest thing that I am seeing [working as a PGA H.O.P.E. Ambassador] is more than they’re happy about learning the game of golf, they’re happy to have the social interaction with other veterans,” -Deborah Martinez-Garibay