Judith Ann Montes

Jude was born in Cambridge, MA to George and Angelina (Repici) Minichiello on July 17, 1940, the second child and only daughter of four; her brothers are George, Robert (deceased), and John. Her first memories were being quite sick in a hospital. From then on, she was keenly aware she may not grow up, much less healthy enough to be a contributing adult. She attended Emmanuel College in Boston (1961) and worked at her dad’s grocery store (Evergood) as a checker and bookkeeper.

Feeling gratitude to God for overcoming ill health, she moved to Las Cruces in 1961 as a missionary to teach at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) elementary. While she and her (not yet) husband Daniel Montes individually considered taking holy orders, they did not. They felt having a family and serving the church as lay ministers were their ways to glorify God. She married Daniel (1963, now deceased) and they had four children: Caterina Montes (John Forest), Marcos (Gisela De La Rivera) (Marcos was previously married to Carolina Magallanez for ten years before she died); Luis (Alyson Greiner); and Miguel (Angie Sullivan Montes). Her grandchildren are Nicolás (Jas Pitts), Vaitiare Tirado, Michaela Szewczyk (Michael), Carlos, John Mura, Orlando Forest, Angelina and Jeremiah. Jude was like a mom to many others she cherished, some of whom had a key to her home. Her love and compassion extended beyond the boundaries of blood. Opening her heart and home, she set an example of how to grow a family that she thought everyone should have.

Some may remember times in nature with Jude’s family, picnicking or camping. Jude was a Campfire Girl in Boston and fondly remembered summer camp in New Hampshire. She made sure her family had outdoor and camping experiences that fueled her children’s love for the outdoors that still burns to this day. Outdoor experiences were the center of many great adventure stories she read to her children, especially tales like The Hobbit and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. These stories featured not only heroic deeds but also heroic character traits of loyalty, friendship, faith and love.

After the children went to school, Jude volunteered in PTA and at IHM. She served as IHM’s religious education director for three years. She volunteered as an advocate for the annulment tribunal of Diocese of Las Cruces for about 25 years. With her husband Daniel she prepared many couples for marriage through the pre-marriage program. She volunteered as a liturgist and created many of the banners still seen at IHM. In all these endeavors, Jude brought others along on her faith journey, intentionally developing them to grow in understanding their relationship to God, to themselves, and to their community.

Funeral services are scheduled at 5:00 pm on May 14, 2025, with a gathering of family and friends at Getz Funeral Home, 1410 E. Bowman Ave. Las Cruces NM followed by rosary at 6:00 pm. Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 am on May 15, 2025, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral, 1240 E. Espina Las Cruces, NM. followed by inurnment. Live stream at www.getzcares.com. Reception to follow at IHM’s Finley Hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jude’s name to Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral or Casa de Peregrino’s.