Lorraine Montoya

Our beloved mother, Lorraine Montoya, 71, of Abiquiu, NM, passed away following a short illness on Monday, September 9, 2019 with her family by her side.

She was born to the late Napoleon and Josefita Martinez on September 7, 1948, in Abiquiu.  Lorraine was preceded in death by her sister Teodorita Garcia, her late husband Jose Ortega, and brother-in-law Gilbert Vigil.  She is survived by her loving husband of 19 years, Hernando Montoya and her 4 children: Jose Ortega, Joyce Ortega-Tapia (John Tapia), Vangie Trujillo (Donald) and Josephine Ortega (David Bustos).  She is survived by her 9 grandchildren, Erika, Lorraine, Candyce, and David Bustos; Katrina (Chris Martinez) and Fabian Trujillo; Esperanza Ortega-Tapia, and Jose Jr. and Mikaela Ortega and by her 4 great-grandchildren, Kristiana, Khristian and Kameron Martinez and Kenadee Raye Bustos.  Lorraine is also survived by her sisters Bernadette Williams (Ernest) and Rose Vigil; special niece Debra Garcia, nephew Nappy Garcia (Lucy) and nieces, Beverly Williams, Melinda Garcia, Yolanda Vigil (James Trujillo), Sylvia Vigil, and Pamela Wong (Corey) and brother-in-law, Filimon Garcia.  She is also survived by many special relatives, in-laws, and friends.

Lorraine worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory for 30+ years until her retirement in 2012.  She enjoyed spending time with her family and felt blessed to have traveled to Europe and throughout the United States; she especially enjoyed going camping and her trips to Las Vegas, Nevada.  Lorraine lived her life through laughter, honesty, and kindness and inspired others to do the same.  Her selfless sacrifices were endless…she was especially proud to have raised four strong and successful children as a single mother…she was the heart of the family or “queen” as she was lovingly referred to by her children and grandchildren.  As she faced life challenges, her amazing strength and faith always kept her persevering which she did gracefully until the end of her journey.

A rosary will be recited on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the St. Thomas Catholic Church in Abiquiu with a Memorial Mass to be celebrated at 12:00 p.m. Burial to follow at the St. Thomas Catholic Cemetery in Abiquiu.  The family of Lorraine Montoya has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Espanola Valley.