Victim had long passion for Brazil

WORCESTER -- Joe Martin's passion for Brazil began in high school, friends said yesterday, when he fell in love with a Brazilian girl who had just moved to the city.

Martin taught himself Portuguese to impress her and soon grew so enamored with the culture that he became a fixture in bars and clubs popular with immigrants from Brazil.

About two and half years ago, Martin moved to Brazil to teach English. He told his friends in New England there was nowhere else he would rather be.

Last Thursday, as he celebrated his 30th birthday at a bar in Rio de Janeiro, he became involved in a fight with a local police officer, who fatally shot Martin in the stomach.

The officer has said he acted in self-defense. He has been arrested and is now facing homicide charges, according to the Associated Press. Martin's family, meanwhile, is preparing to bring his body back to the United States.

It was unclear yesterday what led to the fight between the officer and Martin, whose friends described him as a charismatic, intelligent man with an infectious laugh and little fear of confrontation.

"He would never back down," said Stacy Reil, who knew Martin since they were students at Doherty Memorial High School. "He would stand up for any one of his friends, a lot of times without knowing if his friend was wrong. Then he'd tell you later you were wrong. He was a very candid person, very honest, very open. It's such a tremendous loss. It's such a shame."

Martin's family declined to be interviewed yesterday. His mother and aunts released a statement that made no mention of the circumstances of Martin's death and instead focused on his love for Brazil.

"The family of Joseph Martin would like to thank all of their family and friends, both in the United States and Brazil, for their kind expressions of love and support," the statement said. "Joseph and his family have a great respect and appreciation for Brazil and its people."

Martin was born and raised in Worcester. His mother, who raised Martin on her own, took him to China when he was a little boy. The two stayed for at least a year while Martin's mother taught English, said Gina Warren , 29, another high school friend. Mother and son were practically inseparable, she said.

When he returned to Worcester, he befriended immigrants here while exploring the city's streets and as a student at Worcester State College, where he taught English as a second language.

Martin's friend, Jon Donovan, 32, recalled meeting people from Africa, South America, and Europe at house parties Martin threw. "It was a like a meeting of the UN," Donovan said. "I gave him the nickname, 'the Kofi Annan of Worcester.' "

When Martin went on 6-mile runs through the city, at least a dozen people would shout out hello or beep their horns at him, recalled Chris Kanaracus, 33, who used to run with Martin.

"People from all walks of life -- it was kind of amazing," said Kanaracus. "He was a very, very bright presence."

When he left for Brazil, after he found a job at a local school teaching English, no one was surprised by the move.

"It's the perfect sort of environment for him," Donovan said. "It was chaotic, and there was lots of partying."

Just days before his death, Martin e-mailed Donovan to tell him he was brimming with excitement because he was going to start managing a bar. Donovan believes it was the same bar where Martin was shot.

The subject line of the e-mail was, "I'm the most fired up man alive."

"He just simply couldn't imagine coming back," Donovan said. "He was having such a good time. . . . He loved America, and America was his country, but Brazilians were his people."

Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com.