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Juan Andrade's Reflections on the late Zeke Montes

 

Ezequiel "Zeke" Montes, Jr. was among the first Latinos to welcome USHLI to Chicago 30 years ago.  We were the Midwest Voter Registration Education Project in those days.  From the first time we met, and every time thereafter, he greeted me with that same cheerful smile for which he was well known.  He greeted me like a brother and a colleague who was also engaged in the struggle to empower and improve his community.  That's just the way he was.

 

What impressed me from the start was that Zeke wasn't just being courteous when he greeted you.  He was always literally glad to see whoever he was greeting, including me.  After watching him awhile, I realized that that was just the way he was; a genuinely warm and caring person.  Zeke will certainly be remembered for his many successes and accomplishments in life, but I believe that everyone who was fortunate enough to meet him will always remember his distinctly cheerful, warm, and caring smile.

Zeke was all about family and community, so much so that the community was actually an extension of his family.  Or so it seemed.  There was nothing he wouldn't do for his family.  And there was nothing he didn't do for his community.  In fact, he dedicated his life to both.  He left his family much for which to be proud, and he gave his community much for which it should be grateful.  

 

Zeke went through life being what we call "an unsung hero".  He gained recognition at the local and national level because of his successful career and community service, but in my view he never received the appreciation that he deserved.  And I know that Rosalinda, his wife of over 40 years, will assure us that he never sought or expected appreciation.  In fact he was too busy to receive awards because he was always giving other people awards!  That's just the way he was. 

 

But on this sad occasion of his untimely death, I just want Rosalinda and their four children - Patricia, Christine, Edward, and Esteban, to know that there are many, many people from coast to coast that are very grateful to Zeke for being part of our lives, for making us better people, for always lifting us up, for always greeting us with that cheerful smile, and for always doing everything he could for the community that he loved.  That's just the way he was, and we too will miss him very much. 

 

 

   

 

 

Juan Andrade, Jr.

USHLI President 

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