Estella V. Montoya

     Estella Villescas Montoya was born on May 17, 1932 in York Valley, Arizona to Ricardo and Antonia Villescas.  She attended school in Duncan until 1941 when she, with her family, moved to Clifton, Arizona.  She was salutatorian of her Clifton High School graduating class in 1950.  In August 1950 she married Albert Montoya.  Together they had four children: Albert “Sonny” (Debbie), Alfred “Buddy” (Mary), Alex (Cheri), and Linda.  She was the proud grandmother of Albert, Joseph (Paige), Tommy (Alexis), Michael, Alexis, Briana, Steven, and Tiffany, and the proud great grandmother of Dominic, Diego, Isabelle, Martin, Clifton, Savanah, Ilias and Bainen.

     Estella and Albert made their home in Clifton until 2010, when they moved to Tucson to be closer to their family.  While in Clifton, they raised their four children and spent time together remodeling their home throughout the years.  She became quite knowledgeable and adept in the trades.

     She was a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Clifton; in Tucson, she attended Our Lady of Fatima Parish.  She was unwavering in her faith, was a Bible reader, and had a devotion to the Blessed Mother. She lived her life following the Word of God and placed God above all else. She was grateful and gave thanks to God for all of His blessings.  She was prayerful and was a prayer warrior for many.

    Estella’s second devotion was to her family. She would do anything for any family member.  She was a quiet person with a wonderful sense of humor and was quick witted.  She had a beautiful smile for everyone. She was always loving, kind, patient, supportive, and forgiving.  She was the perfect role model with her strong character, courage, strength, and humility.  Estella is the embodiment of love. Many people told her they could feel her warmth and spirituality just by being close to her. 

     She was exceptionally gifted in all she did, including decorating cakes, cooking and baking.  She was an amazing seamstress.  Her talents included embroidering, knitting, crocheting, and quilting.  All of her works were truly beautiful masterpieces! She was an avid reader and enjoyed doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles, including two-sided puzzles.

     She was the last surviving sibling of her family, preceded in death by Jim (Ysidra) Villescas, Sue (Paul) Herrera, Dick (Maria) Villescas, Ricardito, Martita, Ernestina, and the twins.  

     She was preceded in death by Albert, her husband of 64 years and her grandson, Steven Anthony Montoya.

     Estella went to be with our Lord on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024.  Estella was beloved by so many people.  She was truly a treasure and will forever be missed.