Beatriz Montoya

Beatriz Montoya went by many names.

Mom, Grandma, wife, sister, daughter, nurse, protector of animals, warrior... The list goes on and on.

The light of our family has gone out way too soon. There was so much Bea wanted to do before she left this Earth. She wanted to travel to Mexico again, see her daughter graduate from Pharmacy school, watch her son start his business, help her oldest daughter with buying her own house, spend her retirement years traveling with her husband, watch her grandkids grow up to be the good people she envisioned them to be. That's how she was. She was always thinking two steps ahead. Always planning for the future. Seldom was there a moment when she was still and not planning. That was one of her strengths. She was a planner and she was a doer. Traits that were formed during her difficult childhood and strengthened the person she became as she got older.

She always knew she was destined to be a nurse. She would tell us stories of her childhood and how she would always play the role of a nurse taking care of all the neighborhood kids. We remember our house in Pico Rivera and how hard she had to study to graduate from nursing school. She would lock herself in her room and study for hours on end because she wanted it that bad. She was a big believer in higher education. Always pushing her family to be the best they could be in school. Giving us all the resources we could ever need in order to succeed, even if our learning styles were different, she never gave up. She was the true definition of what a nurse should be. Kind, compassionate, determined, and wise. It was a beautiful thing to hear how she helped so many young children and their families during her career as a nurse. She was a strong advocate for her patients. Always going against the current to make sure she was providing top quality care. And if there was ever a time where you needed comfort, she was there front and center as well.

She could never turn down someone that needed help. Often she would tell us that children and animals were innocent and vulnerable and should always be protected. A message that she lived by. She had this aura of safety she carried around her. She was never too busy to lend a listening ear or help you work through your problems. I would always say it was the Pisces side of her. But it was just her big heart. Her beautiful heart loved so hard and being around her when you really needed to be heard by someone was like letting a ton of weight off your shoulders. I saw this with everyone she met. Her family, her sisters, her friends, God, even the animals she saved would form these intense bonds with her because her love was so pure. Something that will be greatly missed.

Beatriz was every emotion in one little person. She was loud and energetic. Sad and melancholic. Elated and optimistic. She could plan adventures that had people talking about them for years. She was brave and tough. You couldn't mess with her. She prided herself in being a straightforward person and a woman of her word. Being around that for so long made you want to be the best version of yourself, because that's how she saw everyone. She always saw the potential in people, even if they couldn't see it yet. She used her fiery side to bring it out of you. She loved bringing everyone together for a party. Those of you who truly know her, knew how much she enjoyed having the whole family together. She could dance the night away at any event. If you were ever lucky enough to be dragged out onto the dance floor by her little hands, you know there was no way you could tell her no. There are so many memories of her on the dance floor or dancing in the living room while cleaning or anywhere really. She really loved to dance.

Our mother was the glue to our family and to our extended family. Every camping trip, every vacation or road trip, every holiday or party was her doing. She was the queen of our house and of our lives. Our hearts are so empty without the sounds of her in this house. Her laugh, the howls she would yell out with her dogs, the loud meowing, the sounds of her cooking and organizaing, her music playing loudly through her speaker while she sang along. The comfort of knowing she was here has gone with her. She is missed so greatly every day. The time we had her with us was not enough and even so, we are grateful to have had her in our lives at all. We miss the light she brought into this world and the love she had to give. Our hearts will never be the same again but we hope to make her proud until our time to be together comes again.

We love you Mom. Miss you.

Beatriz Montoya, 54, born on February 22, 1969, in Guadalajara, JAL, Mexico, passed away June 20, 2023. She resided in Eastvale, CA at the time of her passing. Arrangements are under the care of Forest Lawn, Covina Hills, CA.