Martin Lahiff, 81, died May 12, 2014 at home in Patagonia, Arizona. He was born in New York City and graduated from Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y. In 1957, Martin left his job as a copy editor of the New York Journal American to take his severely asthmatic younger brother to Arizona. Martin worked as an editor and reporter for the Bisbee Daily Review and played for a local baseball team.
In 1959 he joined the federal government, working in Yuma for years before transferring to San Francisco. Later, he served as a U.S. Consul, stationed by the State Department in Mexico City and Athens, Greece. His career took him all over the Americas, the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
Martin and his wife, Cecilia, retired to Mexico, where he wrote books of poetry, history, and observations of the world he had seen. Two years ago, they moved to Patagonia to be closer to their children. Having continued to write occasional articles for local papers throughout his life, he enjoyed the opportunity to write a few columns for the Patagonia Regional Times.
Martin was foremost a poet, then a writer. He also loved music. He sang, played piano, and danced. And he played baseball for as long as he could. Martin loved Mexico and its culture, and he took great pleasure in traveling and meeting people from all over the world. Above all, he was devoted to his wife and family and his faith.
His memorial service will be at 10 A.M. on June 6 at St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church, 222 Third Avenue, Patagonia