Linda Montoya

Linda was born on September 4, 1931 in Ontario, California to José Ascención Sanchez and Felipa Bañuelos. She was the eldest of six children, and she traveled with her parents and siblings to harvest crops throughout California in her childhood.

She attended school in Ontario, including Grove School, Vina Danks Junior High School, and Chaffey High School. After her marriage she became a homemaker but later she worked as a dietary aide at Upland Convalescent Hospital for 15 years.

Linda was a faithful Catholic and had attended Our Lady of Guadalupe, Ontario; St. George, Ontario; St. Margaret Mary, Chino; and Our Lady of Lourdes, Montclair. She also belonged to the Cursillo Movement and taught catechism at OLG.

To her grandchildren, she was generous, kind, loving and supportive. She often took them to the LA County Fair and Disneyland, and she enjoyed traveling with her family members to places like Las Vegas, Mexico, Hawaii, and Texas and enjoyed camping in nature with her beloved husband, Paul. She had a great sense of humor and was the life of the party, and she “directed” the truth, especially when playing family games so that she could win all of the prizes at Bingo. She never declined an invitation to have fun.

Linda loved gardening, ceramic painting, crocheting, writing poetry, gambling, and dancing with her granddaughter Melissa to Julio Iglesias music. She was resourceful, creative, and resilient. She loved going to the movies and out to eat at restaurants. Her greatest desire was always to have family unity, and she accomplished this as the matriarch. All five of her grandchildren earned college degrees as a testament to her and her husband’s loving support.

She married Paul Montoya, and their marriage lasted 50 ½ years. Linda has three children who survive her: Roseanna Ruiz, Paul Montoya, Jr., and Marianna (Frank) Delgado. Also surviving are her grandchildren: Rosalinda Ruiz (Louis Wischnewsky), Miguel Ruiz, Melissa (Frankie) Valdez, and Gabriel (Clara) Delgado. Her great-grandson, Abel Valdez and one brother, Ronald Sanchez, survive, along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Paul, grandson Daniel Ruiz, son-in-law Aureliano Ruiz, and siblings Joe, Rachel, Lily, and James.

A visitation and rosary will be held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, from 4-8 pm at Draper Mortuary, 811 North Mountain Ave. Ontario, CA 91762. The rosary will begin at 6 pm. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 10 am at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 12686 Central Ave, Chino, CA 91710. Interment will follow at 1 pm at Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92518.