He was “the Rock”: She was the sweetness that held it all together

Carmie and I in 2017 after Jerry Roberts' funeral

Some people are very special, and Carmie (DeMatteis) Martynuska was one of them.

Without a doubt, waiting for an organ transplant can be one of the most frustrating emotional points in any person’s life. Not just for the potential recipient, but also for the entire family.

Such was the case for Art Martynuska as he battled back from serious heart disease until he was ultimately told that the only action that would save his life would be someone else’s heart.

Art was a tough guy, hard-nosed, rugged to a T, a true macho-man as he coached and taught and inspired people to a become more productive and valuable members of society. However, something like the need for an organ transplant hitting you in your 50s and 60s was an excruciating experience.

And in his marriage to the beautiful lady name Carmella DeMattis Martynuska, who passed away earlier this week just days before her 97th birthday, provided a change in roles for the two in their marriage, which lasted for about 54 years.

In short, in life, Art was a rock, and Carmie was the sweetness in that relationship that held everyone together.

In fact, she was one of the sweetest people I ever met in my life — but she suddenly became the rock for a very tough guy in a battle that was more vital that any he had fought on the gridiron or on the court.

The wait was stressful, but the miracle occurred, and in 1996, Art was given a new heart in some miraculous surgery at Cleveland Clinic. The result was ten more years of life, ones that he was able to spend with Carmie, with his three beautiful children: Brenda, Cynthia, and Artoro (Art), but also with his grandchildren — particularly Ian and Anthony — who were so grateful for the time they had to spend with him in their formative years.

The period of recovery was also challenging, but together, Art and Carmie weathered the storm for a decade. She was definitely a rock, but what everyone knew about Carmie was the sweetness that she exuded toward everyone in life.

However, that was not the first time that Carmie was the Rock.

Returning to Pa was the goal

Art found a teaching job in New York State after his graduation from Lock Haven State College in 1957, and he spent a number of years teaching history and social studies there. However, they always wanted to return to their home area: Carmie a Portage native and Art a Lillyite.

That opportunity presented itself when Art’s uncle. Pete Mattiello, decided to retire and sell his business on Cleveland Street in Lilly. Art and Carmie decided to buy the store and set up their own business while Art sought a teaching job in the area.

That business venture became a drug store called “Lilly Cut-Rate,” and Art then took a job with the state of Pennsylvania while he sought a teaching/coaching opportunity in the area.

Guess who ran the store?

I had never met Art or Carmie prior to this since I was just a young teenager. I had heard of him because of his athletic exploits at Lilly-Washington High School, but in the early 1960s, they moved back to Lilly and opened their store. Carmie was already the mother of two beautiful young girls, and she became pregnant with their third child.

However, not only was she a fabulous mother, she became the operator — or CEO — of Lilly Cut-Rate while Art worked for the state for a few years, which provided some good benefits for the family.

That is where I, and so many other young people, learned of the beauty of Carmie. Lilly Cut Rate had a great fountain that was special, and when we entered, she always had that smile on her face when you would come in and ask for a cherry coke or some ice cream or other delicacies.

However, what so many still remember is how she also became a mentor for the youngsters, particularly for the young girls who hung out there and needed some guidance in their everyday lives as they battled the vagaries of their teen years.

Carmie had a heart that was a beautiful as she was, and she operated that store until the mid to late 1970s. Art was hired as a teacher at his alma mater in 1964, where he also served as an assistant football coach, beginning a career there that lasted through Penn Cambria and then St. Francis College, where he founded the football program that currently exists today in 1969.

However, the success that Art had as a coach, athletic director, and teacher were due in large part to that lovely wife of his. In fact, a scholarship was established at St. Francis after Art’s passing that carries the name “The Arthur and Carmella Scholarship” and is given to a Red Flash football player.

Art may have been the rock, but her sweetness was something that so many of us will never forget. A personal note: She always said to me after I talked to her, “I love you, Hughie.” However,  she never said that and expressed her gratitude until after 2006 for one reason: I had given the eulogy for Art at his funeral. That is not my forte, and I did not want to do it and did not do a great job, but she was forever grateful to me for making that effort.

That is the sweetness that I will never forget about this special lady, and I, like so many others, loved you too, Carmie.