Marylou Montoya

Marylou Montoya

August 3, 1955 – April 14, 2020

Marylou Montoya (Ama), age 64, passed away April 14, 2020. She was born August 3, 1955 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Jose (Joe) and Bessie Jaramillo. She was married to her longtime friend and love, Leroy Montoya (Umpa), in the year 1972. They welcomed three children the oldest Leslie Montoya, the middle Daniel Lee Montoya, who preceded her in death at the young age of 34 in 2012, and their youngest Leroy Montoya Jr.

Family was extremely important to her it was impossible to talk to her even for the first time and not walk away with some knowledge of someone in the family. Whether it be how much she missed her dad Joe, brothers Dino and Gary, her sister Debbie, her son Daniel. How beautiful her five granddaughters are. How proud she was to finally have a Grandson who was like having a unique copy of her son back. Or just how happy she was to see her Daughter Leslie and son Leroy Jr well she was like this open scrapbook full of memories and was so happy to share and relive with anyone around.

Marylou made it easy to love her and become her friend and soon you would be considered family to her too. Something that you would notice about her when you visited her, no matter how often, each room of her house no matter where she lived was always different.  Even though she was a Grandma and I would say pint-sized at that, she would never, and I repeat never let that stop her from re organizing the layout of each room in her house. Sometimes it was as if it was her weekly (if not Daily) routine to have a new “Zen” space as she would call it. It still amazes me how she was able to move her big leather sectional all by herself just because she wanted, or her leather recliner that she called her “big Cow” but she did it and it made her happy.

Speaking of her being happy she was also so so so so happy to shop! She loved going out and browsing places like big lots, yard sales, Ross, and Dollar Tree. She was most happy shopping with people and then treating them to a restaurant either after or before. She was so ambitious about her shopping even though she didn’t drive she had no excuses and she would make a way. She would walk or go with close friends on the city bus she just enjoyed doing things like that with family and friends. Also the shopping helped her decorating process. She loved Chinese letters for art, incense for each room, and just knickknacks that would remind her of her family which she would keep for a bit then pass on to that family member as a gift.

She was happy when her family was happy. She loved to sing to her grandkids no matter how old they got. Just being around her gave you peace. She herself was the definition of Zen. She loved the windows open in her house especially during rainy weather. She was never afraid of earthly things because she knew God and his angels were always with her and her family. She was always faithful even when life was hard she always had a peace about life and death. To her we were always together her living and nonliving family. She would always talk about and to her family that has passed which made them alive to her family even if they have never met them.

Her passing is hard for her surviving family only because they will no longer be able to hug her, kiss her, sing with her, hear her voice, or just feel that peace they felt just by being in her presence. She is survived by her very strong Husband Leroy Montoya Sr , Brother Ruben Jaramillo and Wife Tammy Jaramillo, Daughter Leslie Montoya, Son Leroy Montoya Jr, Granddaughter Ashley Gonzales and Husband Esteban Gonzales,  Great Granddaughters Athena Gonzales, Davina Gonzales, Serena Gonzales, Granddaughter Monique Montoya, Granddaughter Alexis Tafoya, Great Grandson Keith Tafoya, Granddaughters Amanda Tafoya, Mercedes Montoya, Grandson Daniel Isaac Montoya, Sister In-laws, many Nieces, Nephews, Great Nieces and Great Nephews.

Her passing was also a joyous and peaceful one. She is no longer in any pain, she is walking and now able to see all her family here on earth and is now able to not miss a beat in any of their lives no matter how far apart they live anymore. But most importantly she is reunited by family she has missed for many years as she is preceded in death by Her Father Jose Jaramillo, Mother Bessie Jaramillo, Brothers Dino Jaramillo, Gary Jaramillo, Sister Debbie Jaramillo, Son Daniel Lee Montoya, Grandbaby Montoya, Sister In-laws Bettylou Zamora, Yolanda Nuanez, and Mother In-law Albina Montoya.

Many years before she passed she bought a necklace for her Daughter and five Granddaughters. The saying on that necklace reads as follows,  “Until we meet again my God hold you in the hollow of his hand”

This will hold true for her family and anytime they hear “somewhere over the rainbow” or “Where have all the flowers gone” they will smile and think of her flying with all the Angels she always talked about and loved.