Obituary of Sylvia Montes

Sylvia Marie (Daniels) Montes Born in Hornell, New York, Sylvia became a Tucson resident when her family moved here in 1957. She passed away into the arms of our Lord on July 13, 2012 at Casa de la Luz Hospice after a courageous 2-year battle with ovarian cancer. She was raised, along with her four brothers; by her devoted and loving father Sylvester (Pancho) Anthony Daniels, a World War II Marine Corps veteran. Sylvia leaves behind the true love of her life, Fred, her husband of over 30 years. He devoted these last few years to her recovery. She is survived by their children, Antonio Javier, Yvonne Montes and Greg (Gina) Montes as well as her brothers, Angelo (Barbara), Michael (Janet, deceased), and Phillip. She leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that she cared for and loved deeply. She was preceded in death by Thomas Angelo Daniels, her oldest brother, in 2003. Family meant everything to Sylvia and her love for her huge family was unwavering. Christmas was her favorite time of the year, as it meant gathering with family and friends, planning and shopping for gifts, cooking spaghetti with sausage and meatballs, pozole, beans, and baking pizzelles and other pastries. She was very proud to have carried on the great cooking traditions of her father’s Italian heritage, and her mother-in-law’s Mexican heritage. Fred introduced her to jogging and hiking, but she really enjoyed their morning runs of up to 8 miles a day. Sylvia was the consummate shopper always looking for bargains and gifts, especially for the kids. She loved the ocean and the beaches around San Diego. She also enjoyed travel with family, especially kids and grandkids, to Puerto Vallarta. Her favorite trip was a cruise to Alaska with Fred, where she won another cruise to the Mexican Caribbean and Belize. She surprised Fred with an 8-week old beagle in 1992; they named “Peaches” and loved the companionship and funny antics she provided for over 16 years. A 1970 graduate of Catalina High School, she continued her education at Pima Community College where she earned an Associate’s Degree. A long time employee of International Business Machines, she retired from IBM in 2006. The family would like to give a special thank-you to Drs. Alton and Jennifer Hallum, for their dedication, compassion, and unending support, and to the kind and professional nurses and staff at Arizona Oncology and Casa de la Luz Hospice.