Jose Montero

José Montero, 76, of Doraville, Georgia, died on Monday, February 4, 2008 at his home, in the company of his wife and children. Dr. Montero was born February 21, 1931 in Madrid, Spain to Maria de la Soledad Carvajal and Hipólito Montero. He was orphaned during the Spanish Civil War and entered the Franciscan Capuchin seminary at age 18. He was ordained a Catholic priest in León, Spain in 1958 and went on to lead parishes in Spain, Germany, Switzerland and the United States, where he served as an inspirational spiritual leader to many communities. In 1969, upon approval of the Roman Catholic Church, Dr. Montero left his priestly duties to become a layman. On June 20, 1970 in Birmingham, AL he married Ana Maria Ruiz de Molina, of Holguín, Cuba. They settled in Atlanta, GA. A lifelong scholar, Dr. Montero held doctorate degrees in Philosophy and Theology from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from Emory University in Atlanta. He then chose to spend the next 32 years of his life as an educator, teaching and inspiring hundreds of students as a professor at Berry College and Georgia State University. His love for Spanish Literature led him to author ?El Drama de la Verdad en Manual Azaña? amongst other smaller works. In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Montero was a very active civic and spiritual leader in the Atlanta Hispanic community. He devoted a great deal of his time to the Hispanic Apostolate of the Archdiocese and served as president of the Atlanta Cuban Club where he was in his fourth and final term at the time of his passing.  Also an avid musician, he delighted friends and families with his cheerful disposition, his Spanish lute and his song.

Dr. Montero is survived by his wife, Ana Maria; his children José of Washington, DC, Ana Maria and Luis of Los Angeles, CA and Francisco of Atlanta, GA; his sisters Maria de la Soledad Montero Carvajal and Mercedes Montero Carvajal of Madrid, Spain, along with nearly 20 nieces and nephews. A funeral Mass will be will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, February 7, at The Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church on Briarcliff Rd in Atlanta. Father Duván Gonzalez will officiate along with other priests of the Archdiocese. Internment will follow at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens on Lawrenceville Hwy.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Trekking for Kids Inc. (www.trekkingforkids.org), a nonprofit organization that helps destitute orphans around the world and for which Dr. Montero has served as Honorary Chairman since its inception in 2005.