The article below originally appeared in the Half Moon Bay Review and is being reprinted with permission.

Tom Martinez, center, laughs with Naomi Patridge, left, when Half Moon Bay hosted a hitting clinic put on by Martinez in 2006. Martinez, in declining health, has been a very important person to the success of softball on the Coastside. Photo by Mark Foyer

To the rest of the world, Tom Martinez is known as the quarterback coach for Tom Brady.

The two first met more than 20 years ago and have maintained their relationship. Brady credits Martinez for his success in the NFL.

When it comes to crediting Martinez for success in life off the field, Brady would find himself in a crowd that includes many Coastside residents.

Martinez was a longtime successful coach at the College of San Mateo in football, women’s basketball and softball. Prior to that, he coached and taught at Jefferson High School. At both places, his teaching went beyond how to play a sport properly.

His life lessons still carry weight with those he taught. He still touches people, even years after those he coached have become adults with families of their own.

It explains the explosion of love and well wishes on his Facebook page after his daughter, Linda Martinez Haley, posted on his page that he’s seriously ill. The June 10 post said that he has “a week to a month to live.”

The news got better a week later when it was announced that he might be able to have a life-saving operation and his pacemaker has been adjusted.

Martinez’s health has not been good for years, starting with a battle with diabetes. Despite the health problems, Martinez still works with quarterbacks who are eager and willing to learn. Whether it’s Brady or a high school quarterback, Martinez supplies the information and support provided the quarterback is interested in learning from one of the best.

“He has not lost a step with his personality,” said Cindy Turgeon, who pitched for CSM in the mid-1980s. “He is still fighting.”

Turgeon was one of a few people to see him last week, and she said he looks good.

Martinez’s influence on Turgeon was so strong that when niece Rachel Pacheco heard about the stories of Martinez, she decided to play for Martinez.

“I learned so much more than I ever did before,” Pacheco told the Review after her freshman season at CSM in 2001. “Coach Martinez is a great coach. He taught me so much.”

Pacheco, now coaching at West Valley College, clung close to Martinez at a CSM alumni softball game a few years ago, trying to get as much coaching wisdom as possible.

“He makes me want to be a better, successful person,” Turgeon said.

It goes for every person who he coached or taught.

“He was one of the first people to believe in me,” Coastside resident Jennifer Freeman said. “I am so thankful for him believing in me. That was the greatest gift he gave me.”

Martinez gave Freeman another gift more than 20 years later. Speaking at a hitting camp in Half Moon Bay, with her daughter in tow, Martinez said Freeman was the greatest player he ever coached.

“That made me speechless,” Freeman said. “I could not imagine someone bestowing that great honor.”

The 2006 camp was one of many times Martinez would come to Half Moon Bay to share his knowledge of hitting.

“Whenever I had a question, I would call him and we would sit and talk,” former Half Moon Bay softball coach Naomi Patridge said. “He had a lot of knowledge and loved sharing.”

It didn’t matter whether Martinez was teaching adults or kids. He loved to pass along his knowledge.

“He made the game so much fun,” Patridge said.

He made life just as much fun, as well.

“He is a part of me,” Turgeon said. “Aside from my family, he had the biggest influence on my life.”