Kenneth Gilbert Montoya, aged 61, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on November 30, 2016 at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. The cause of death was cardiopulmonary failure due to peritoneal mesothelioma cancer with complications due to Chronic Kidney Disease.

Ken was born September 7, 1955 in Alamosa, CO. Ken graduated from Corcoran High School in 1973 and continued on to receive a Bachelor of the Arts Degree from The University of the Pacific in 1977. He received his teaching credential in 1985.

Ken’s true love was always politics. He worked for the Democratic National Committee, the AFL-CIO, Senators Paul Simon, Paul Wellstone, and Roland Burris, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the Teamsters Union, and most recently Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick.

Ken was a member of the Democratic Club where he could be found most nights of the week with a drink and a cigar after working hard all day to assist the underprivileged of society. He was also very proud of his work on behalf of Native Americans.

Ken’s leisure pursuits he loved were golf, traveling, movies, reading (especially history and political books), and music.

Ken is survived by his parents, Angelica Newcomb, Gilbert and Clare Montoya, and his siblings Kathy Lane, Rob Montoya, and Jeff Montoya. He is also survived by his nephew Paul Lane and his nieces Chloe and Sophia Montoya.

The light of Ken’s life was Bonnie Ross, who was his partner in crime, traveled with him, and cared for him every day during his health crisis.

A Celebration of Life for Ken will be held sometime in February. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to be made in Ken’s name to either the National Kidney Foundation https://www.kidney.org/ or the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation http://www.curemeso.org/site/c.duIWJfNQKiL8G/b.8598593/k.D685/Homepage.htm.