Danielle K. Martinez

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my soul mate Danielle K. Martinez on October 10, 2023. Danielle passed peacefully into the vast unknown surrounded by loving family and friends including her spouse of many years, Manny Martinez, step-daughter Eugenia S. Martinez, grandson Ahmadou Diasse of Bisbee, AZ, and long-time friends Karen Hunter and her brother Craig Hunter of Tucson, AZ. Danielle is also survived by her daughter, Sydelle Winter of Fresno, CA. Danielle is preceded in death by her father Harold F. Kavanagh and her mother Elinore Shields. Danielle came into this world in Philadelphia, PA on April 22, 1945 and was an only child.

After earning a master degree in art education with an emphasis on special education from Moore College of Art and Design, Danielle taught special ed in inner city Philadelphia for a period of time before relocating to Bisbee, AZ. In 1976, Danielle bought the historic Silver King Hotel, and as she worked to restore the hotel, it was also her home for several years. Eventually, the hotel was sufficiently restored, and she and her husband, Manny, opened it as the working hotel it is today. In 2011, Danielle opened the Room 4 Bar, Arizona’s smallest bar, inside the hotel.

Danielle was also a talented artist working primarily in watercolor and ceramics. She was an original member of the Central School Project, an arts organization in Bisbee dedicated to providing affordable studio spaces and the promotion of the arts. Danielle was also a founding member of Subway Gallery, an artists’ cooperative in Bisbee. Many of her delicate watercolors and fine ceramic pieces adorn collectors’ walls and cabinets far and wide. She was painting watercolors up until the end.

Danielle will be dearly missed. As per her wishes, her remains were cremated. A celebration of life is tentatively planned for a time and place on or near her birthday in April 2024.