Ramon Montoya–an original member of SOB

Our colleague, Ramon Montoya, died this morning following hospitalization and treatment for heart issues. Ramon was in UNM Hospital through much of February for some surgeries to the heart and returned home March 1. But his condition worsened and he was placed in hospice care at his home in Santa Fe a few days ago. I was fortunate to be able to visit  Ramon with George Gamble yesterday and we talked with him about a ride we did with Jim Halquist, Mary Clark, and Frank Battaglia out of the community college in Las Vegas, NM that was a beautiful ride climbing into the hills above the city. Ramon remembered it and appeared glad to reminisce about it. I had taken some pictures along, but his glasses could not be found at the moment. But he remembered the ride.

Ramon may be the only SOB who can trace his New Mexico ancestry to the late 1590s, as an ancestor who was a sergeant in the Spanish army arrived in New Spain and settled in the Nambe area. There he married a woman of the Nambe pueblo and many generations later, Ramon maintained the influence of the family. Ramon grew up in Nambe and on a bike ride through the pueblo, Ramon pointed out his grandmother’s house in which he lived.

Later Ramon moved to southern California where he worked at Douglas Aircraft where several of his four daughters were born. Ramon had several grandchildren and a number of great-grandchildren.

Many of the SOBs found Ramon to be the guy who would do anything to assist another rider–fixing a flat, riding back to get his car to return and take an injured crash victim to urgent care. Many in recent days have described Ramon as a “really sweet man” with all the meaning that description the words mean. Ramon entered an earned gold medals in several Senior Olympics, including going to the nationals in Pittsburgh, PA several years ago. Ramon reported that the humidity in the summer in Pittsburgh is not meant for human kind.

There will be a service for Ramon on Tuesday, March 20. The time and location are yet to be determined. A new post will be presented when that information is available.