Irene Montoya

The Rosary for Irene Montoya, 68, of Portales will be recited at 6:00 PM, Fri., April 12, 2024 at St. Helen Catholic Church.  The Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated by Fr. Sotero Sena at 12 noon on Sat., April 13, 2024 at St. Helen Catholic Church with burial to follow in the Portales Cemetery.  Mark Montoya, Fabian Montoya, Dwayne Garcia, Matthew Martinez, Leiah Montoya, D. J. Martinez, Jerry Gonzales and Raymond Martinez will serve as pallbearers.  All of Irene’s nieces and nephews and cousins have been asked to serve as honorary pallbearers.

Irene Montoya was born Sept. 5, 1955 in Villanueva, NM to the home of Rita Marie (Sena) and Ramon Donato Montoya, and died on the afternoon of April 8, 2024 in Portales.  The family moved to Portales in the 1960’s when Irene was just a young girl.  Irene made her home with her parents until the death of her mother, who died in 2014.  Since that time, she lived a month at a time between her two sisters, until 2020 when her sister, Mary became ill with COVID.  Since that time, she had made her home fulltime in Portales with her sister Carey.

Irene played the piano by ear, and absolutely loved to dance.  Her favorite song was Country Roads by John Denver.  At church she would play her tambourine, which she called her “drum.”  She was an excellent housekeeper, and very detailed in her work.  Irene also had a wonderful ability to remember people’s names, but when she became confused in recent years, she would often call you by a random name.

Irene enjoyed going to play Bingo with her mother, as well as working puzzles and coloring.  She had several television shows that were special to her, especially Bonanza.  Her favorite character on the program was “Little Joe.”  She was an extremely loving person, and constantly told her family members that she loved them.  There was never anyone that she didn’t like.

Irene is survived by three brothers and a sister-in-law, Tino Montoya, Raymond Montoya, Jr. and Alex and Flory Montoya all of Portales; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Mary and Andy Garcia of Roswell and Carey Gonzales of Portales; a sister-in-law, Leticia Montoya of Portales; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and cousins; and also, by her imaginary boyfriend, “Ray.”  She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Leo Montoya, two sisters-in-law, Dorothy and Elisa Montoya and a brother-in-law, Jerry Gonzales, and by her imaginary “husband,” Little Joe Cartwright.

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