José Roberto Martínez Ramírez, a 72-year-old adviser to governors on historical and political matters and a devoted champion of the arts, has died. Martínez served in multiple public roles, including director of the Puerto Rico Office in Washington, D.C. and the island's European Office in Madrid. He was also executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration from 1989 to 1992 and a close adviser to former Gov. Rafael Hernández Colón.
A memorial service will be held at Perpetuo Socorro Catholic Church in Miramar. Martínez is survived by his wife, Setare Milantchi, a professor of languages, and three children, who inherited his passion for history and culture. He was hailed as a lifelong intellectual who believed in balancing cultural development with governmental progress.