Jennie Montoya
Jennie (Pudgie) Montoya was called home on September 22, 2025. Pudgie passed away peacefully in Winslow, surrounded by her loved ones. She was born May 21, 1935 in Winslow, Az to Fidel and Arsenia Montoya.
Pudgie began working at a young age as a waitress at The Falcon while it was owned by the Kretsedemas family. After years of working at The Falcon, Jennie earned her GED that helped her to move on to other careers. While raising her children, she began working with DES as a case worker for 20+ years, she then moved to a crew clerk for AT&SF in Gallup, NM, later was promoted to a dispatcher back home in Winslow. She later realized how much she enjoyed working with people and returned to DES office. She truly enjoyed helping people in need, and after a long and steady career she decided to retire. But that retirement was short lived as she went back to work, but this time at the Department of Corrections. There she was an assistant to the Deputy Warden. After her career at DOC she continued to hold weekly masses for the inmates.
Throughout her life, Pudgie’s devotion to her faith and family made her a loving and caring woman. She was not hesitant to help someone in need. If you stopped by her home in South Side, you would never leave hungry, as she always had food on the stove. Her caring heart knew no limits. Above all things she provided for her family, making sure no one went without.
Pudgie is preceded in death by her parents, Fidel and Arsenia Montoya, her siblings Ruth Lovato, Lily Martinez, and Robert Montoya, and reunited with her two sons, Walter Pacheco and Michael “Squeakie” Montoya. She is survived by her siblings, Fidel “Fido” Montoya, Frank “Bern” Montoya, Emma Montano, and Joe “Pichon” Montoya (Teresa) her daughters, Lucy Rubi of Phoenix, AZ, Carol Dawn, Diana Perez, and Theresa Pacheco of Winslow. Grandchildren Michael Jamal Montoya, Kimberly Dickerson (Tony), Enrique Pacheco (Viviana), Gilbert Moncayo (Ashley), Edward Montoya (Jessica), Richard Perez, Arcenia Pacheco, Anna DeWitt (Dillon), Fabian Olguin, Stevie Perez-Montoya, Johnny Montoya, Adrian Montoya, Emiliana Elliott and Raymond Montoya and lots of Great Grandchildren, nieces and nephews that she loved dearly.