Jose Martins was born in Canical, on the Atlantic archipelago of Madeira, Portugal on 7 March 1912. Throughout his life, he worked as a shepherd, farmer, fisherman, and later in the whaling industry for 25 years. He married seamstress at the age of 29 and had six children, of whom two predeceased him. He was married for over 50 years before the death of his wife around 1994.

He never drank alcohol or smoked tobacco, but always ate what he wanted, and would often stress the importance of eating in moderation. In May 2020, at the age of 108, he attended the 30th anniversary celebration of the Museu da Baleia (Whaling Museum) in Madeira. In his later years, he became popular in his community for his storytelling abilities, and was still able to give detailed accounts of life on Madeira from throughout the 20th century. In March 2022, he celebrated his 110th birthday at his home in Caniçal, Machico, making him the first person from Madeira to become a supercentenarian. At the time, he was still able to walk with the aid of a walker, and enjoyed singing fado music.

Jose Martins died in Caniçal, Machico, Madeira on 14 May 2022, at the age of 110 years, 68 days.