José Amado Montañez, Jr.

José Amado Montañez, Jr. passed away on Oct. 28, 2014. José was born in Rhode Island, on Valentine's Day in 1960 while his father, José, Sr. was still serving in the US Navy and cherishing his wife at home that was raising a large family. As the second-born in a family of 5 siblings, it meant always taking a leading role in the family along with his eldest sister. José is survived by his parents, José Amado Montañez, Sr. and Raquel Negroni Montañez, his siblings: sister, Wanda Montañez (and her children David and Marissa), sister Brenda Powell with her husband Russ (and her children Luis and Diamond), brother, Javier Montañez with his wife, Shelly Montañez (and their children Jacob and Joshua), and baby sister, Raquel Aponte, with her husband Gerry (and their children Gerry Jr and Amanda). José Amado Montañez, Jr. was a beloved son and brother (in fact, his middle name, Amado, means “beloved” when translated into the Spanish language), a loved uncle, and a fierce competitor in gymnastics, martial arts, financial planning, professional driving, and entrepreneurship. José was a kind-hearted soul always reaching out to help others that had run into tough times, whether they battled financial, medical, or emotional issues. He also always had a soft spot for animals, especially cats and dogs. José grew up learning how to work hard alongside his father that usually had to hold multiple jobs to make ends meet, whether it meant shoveling snow or shoveling coal. José was an example to his siblings on how to stay tough and hold your ground. He always came to the rescue when the neighborhood bullies came around. He even tried to teach all of his siblings the martial arts at least once in their lives. José used to call himself a “word-a-mologist” (a person that makes up new words out of thin air) just to make others around him laugh. You could always count on him to lighten the mood in the room with his jokes. José worked hard most of his life, always striving for the next level in no matter what he pursued. He always relished coming up with the “next big idea”. He even ran a start-up fitness franchise with his brother before moving on to attempting to launch a new medical transport services endeavor. Just before his passing, José was working on a concept for a specialized medical diagnostics examination table that could vastly improve the comfort of patients being checked for cancer. José was no small thinker. He was always about building that “better mouse-trap”. His charm will be missed, as well as his smile, his wit, and his helping hands. Not to mention, his willingness to help his fellow man when they were down. A celebration of José's life will be held by Rev. Larry O'Brien at 11:00 a.m. Monday November 3, 2014 at the Churchland Assembly of God 4209 Twin Pines Road, Portsmouth, VA 23703.

José Amado Montañez, Jr.

October 28, 2014