Eugene “The Duke” Martell died on Saturday, September 5, in San Antonio with family at his side. He was 81.

On Thursday, September 10, a viewing for Martell will be held at Garcia Trevino Funeral Home from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a rosary at 6 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated the next day on Friday at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Church, and the final burial will take place at 11 a.m.

Born on January 15, 1949, Martell led a life of intrigue and fascination with the world, always waiting to tell stories about the things he had seen to others, eventually leading to his establishment as a columnist in The Mercedes Enterprise newspaper around 2003. 

Even before writing for the Enterprise, Martell had always been an avid writer as a student at Mercedes High School. During his time at the Enterprise he would go on to publish two books. He got his start at the Enterprise after approaching previous owner, Robert Hinds about contributing a serious weekly column. It was after this meeting that Martell decided to use his talents to write for the people of the Mercedes community, where he had continued to put pen to paper for more than 20 years.

To friends and his loyal readers, he was The Duke, a name that Martell had decided on as a way to honor John Wayne, an actor that he simply couldn’t get enough of. Whenever he would greet a friend, he would put on a voice just like the actor to make people laugh and break the ice.

Throughout his career as a writer, The Duke won awards at the South Texas Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest and the Texas Press Association’s, winning first place in the Serious Column Writing category in 2023, placing fourth in 2025 for the same category.

Jim Halbrook, the Public Affairs Officer for the Texas Veterans Commission, wrote to Martell personally after reviewing a submission to the 2025 Texas Veterans Commission Excellence in Media Awards competition.

“Though your entry did not win the award, its attention to veterans, their issues and presenting them to the community is greatly appreciated,” Halbrook wrote.

Although the Duke won many awards and honors in his life, for his daughter, the single most impactful piece of writing he ever produced was a story about a train station that resonated very deeply with her.

“That was my father, the man you see sitting in that chair, waving to everybody, and talking to everybody, he was a very political man, but he loved socializing with everybody,” she said.” Anywhere he went, whether it was here in the valley or out of town, he traveled, every stop he made, every encounter, somebody along the way, he had a story to tell about that individual that he came across… that’s just who my father was.”

She explained that every single one of The Duke’s stories had a message he wanted to get across to his readers, and that his faith was a large part of his character.

“His ideas were just flowing, he had so many stories, so many good stories,” she said. “His faith was the biggest and strongest thing that I could see in my father, no matter what he was going through… he had that strong faith that never stopped.”

One of The Duke’s own most beloved works is a poem titled  “Let Her Fly”, and is posted all around the Valley. He was extremely proud of the poem, and personally went all around the Valley sharing it to businesses, homes, and individuals who would listen.

Tony Sanchez, Commander of the American Legion Post 172 in Mercedes, said that although he didn’t know The Duke personally, he always admired and respected his patriotism.

 “He was a good man, plain and simple,” Sanchez said. “He loved his country, and he loved Mercedes. He was adamant about spreading patriotism, which I respect him greatly for. He was a well respected member of our community, and I admired him for his patriotism.”

Raul Garcia Jr, Publisher of The Mercedes Enterprise, said that the loss of Duke Martell will impact all of those he reached with his words, stretching far beyond just the Mercedes community.

“Duke was a serious writer, many readers looked forward to reading his column in The Mercedes Enterprise. He made the Enterprise better each week, and helped lift the publication to award winning newspaper status. For that, we are grateful to him and his drive to inspire and inform the masses about his travels, patriotism, friends, family, and political supporters. He will forever be a part of Mercedes history, and the annals of Mercedes community journalism. He will be missed and we appreciate him and his writings.” Garcia said.

Eugene Martell is survived by his two sons and only daughter, and several grandchildren, one of whom has the potential to carry on his grandfather’s legacy by continuing to utilize his skills in writing. 

He was a great man who will be missed by an entire community that he cultivated through his words and actions. May he rest in peace.