Juan Montoya

1922 - 2010

Juan M. Montoya
Vigil services for Juan M. Montoya, 88, of Lompoc, will be 7 p.m. Monday, August 2, 2010 at the chapel of Starbuck-Lind Mortuary.  A funeral mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Tuesday, at La Purisima Catholic Church with Rev. Nicholas Ingham presiding.  Burial will follow at Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery.
Juan was born February 22, 1922 in Holbrook, Arizona to Juan and Alfides Montoya.  During his teenage years, he worked with the Conservation Corp.    In 1945, he was inducted into the U.S. Army and served in the European Theater during WWII.  After his honorable discharge with the Army, he moved to Lompoc in 1948 and began working at Johns-Manville Corp.  He retired after 45 years as a train engineer.  Throughout his life, his family was very important to him and was involved with them in various ways.  He enjoyed sports and coached softball for many years.  His other favorite pastimes included playing guitar and was seen by many riding his bike around the neighborhood well into his eighties.  
He died Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at his home with his family by his side.
Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Mary Montoya of Lompoc; sons, John Montoya of Phoenix, Arizona and Trinie Montoya of Yuca Valley, Calif.; daughters,  Priscilla Montoya and Jeannie Gonzalez both of Lompoc, Barbara Mendoza of Modesto, Calif. and Melissa Salas of San Diego, Calif.; sisters, Lucy Mosqueda of Las Vegas, Nevada and Nora Wisely of Golden Valley, Arizona; brother, Ernie Montoya of Watford, England; 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Visitation hours will be 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the mortuary.