Robert Montemayor

Robert Montemayor 1953-2015 LUBBOCK-Robert Montemayor, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, media executive, author, and educator, died Oct. 22, at the age of 62. He had suffered from cancer and had recently moved back to his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, from Bloomfield, N.J. Born on Jan. 31, 1953, in Tahoka, Texas, he started his journalism career as a feature and news writer for the Dallas Times Herald then at the Los Angeles Times, where he was a member of a team that won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for Meritorious Public Service. His outstanding reporting and writing on the Latino series helped us win, said Frank O. Sotomayor, series co-editor. He co-wrote an insightful Mexican American roots story, and investigated and documented why many Latinos were faring poorly in education. He also profiled the diverse Mexican American community of San Diego, which had not been done before. Robert was nominated for a second Pulitzer Prize for international reporting and won several state and local writing awards, including an induction into the Texas Tech University Hall of Fame. His passion for journalism led to write on everything from politics to business, Latino issues, and especially, sports. Chuck Lanehart, a prominent criminal law attorney in Lubbock, recalled meeting Robert shortly during the era of Watergate in 1971 after arriving at Texas Tech, where both received a journalism degree. Robert had already been entrenched at the college newspaper and Lanehart was hired as a reporter. We called ourselves the muckrakers and Robert was intense in covering the college administration, Lanehart said. He was convinced there was a lot of Nixon type corruption going on. Despite his determination into proving wrongdoing, Robert won the favor of the University president, the deans of the medical school and the journalism school and the faculty sponsor of the newspaper. All remained lifelong friends. A scholarship in Robert's name has been established for recruiting incoming minority freshmen students to the College of Media and Communications. After leaving the Los Angeles Times, he earned a Master's in Business degree in Marketing from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Robert went on to work as a media executive specializing in consumer retention and marketing with Dow Jones & Co., BPI Communications, Inc., The McGraw-Hill Companies and Business Week Magazine, all located in New York City. As the author of numerous publications, including a book, Right Before Our Eyes: Latinos Past, Present and Future, Robert established a successful consulting company that specialized in the economic, social and political impact of Latinos in the United States. He served on the board of directors of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education in Berkeley, Calif. then became a journalism professor and Director of the Latino Information Network at Rutgers University. Robert was a terrific mentor for young journalists, said Jorge Schement, Professor and Vice Chancellor at Rutgers University. He was tough and never compromised his standards. It was because he was good at it and really cared. He wanted a great future for his students and it showed by always looking for what was great and best. Survivors include brother, Ricky Montemayor; and nieces, Camelia Reyes and Nicole Salas (Jeremy); four great-nieces and a great-nephew; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his mother, Maria; father, Augustine; sister, Hilda; and two brothers, Rudy and Chris. Visitation will begin in Lubbock at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015, at Guajarado Funeral Chapels, 407 N University, Lubbock, TX 79415 - (806) 744-8942 followed by a rosary at 6 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 26, at San Ramon Catholic Church.