EVERYBODY'S UNCLE LUIS MONTOYA SR., 77, WAS CARING, FUN AND GENUINE.

Byline: Holly J. Andres Staff Writer

Do right and take care of others was the philosophy of Luis ``Louie'' Montoya Sr., a retired Los Angeles County marshal. A resident of Sun Valley since 1956, Montoya died June 25 at age 77.

``He was caring, fun, and he had integrity,'' said son Luis Montoya Jr. ``He was such a genuine person. He had a broad smile and made you feel comfortable, like a part of the family.

``He adapted his life around us to give us guidance and to keep us out of trouble. I learned to have a real sense of family from him.''

Luis Armando Montoya was born Nov. 2, 1927, in El Paso, Texas. He graduated from Bowie High School, where he was a track star, and attended the College of the Mines, now the University of Texas, El Paso. He married high school classmate Josefina Lucero in 1949.

They moved to Sun Valley in 1956 and he went to work for the U.S. Postal Service. He became a county marshal in 1960 and retired in 1983 at the rank of sergeant.

Montoya, who spoke both English and Spanish, coached Little League for eight years when his two sons were growing up. His sense of fair play was an inspiration to his teams.

``When he was coaching he would play fair. If we thought other coaches were bending the rules, he would say, well, we'll beat them anyway,'' said son David Montoya.

``His favorite saying was 'Que sera, sera' - what will be, will be. He was an advocate for helping people and that's why he was called 'Uncle Louie' by so many people.''

After his retirement, Montoya enjoyed being with his grandchildren, playing golf and traveling abroad and to Laughlin, Nev., and eating his wife's chile rellenos.

He was a longtime parishioner at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church in Sun Valley.

``What did I learn from him? Right from wrong. It sounds trite but 'right' is an absolute,'' said Luis Jr. ``Even if nobody else knows, you know and God knows. You do what's right.''

In addition to his sons, Montoya is survived by five grandchildren and his brother, Robert. He was preceded in death by his wife, and by his daughter, Cecilia.

A funeral was held Thursday at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, followed by burial at San Fernando Mission Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Utter McKinley San Fernando Mission Mortuary.

Holly Andres, [phone]

holly.andres(at)dailynews.com

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