KEIKO SHIMOTSU MONTES

On June 3, 2022, Keiko Shimotsu Montes, loving wife of Ish Montes, passed away at the age of 87.

Keiko was born on April 14, 1935 in Kumamoto, Japan to Katsutoshi and Fujie Shimotsu. She was their only child.

Her father’s progressive views allowed Keiko to be educated in the Western style and travel with him on business trips and experience life quite differently than most Japanese women.

Keiko survived the horrors of World War II, the bombings, food shortages, the militarism in the streets and then in postwar Japan, with little family remaining, she somehow survived.

Because she had been educated and raised in a Westernized family, Keiko survived the occupation of Japan by working as a translator. She found the strength to step away from traditional Japanese expectations for women. Her incredible strength, evident in everything she did, carried her through the death of her father and family members from postwar stress, illness and the devastation and monumental changes of post war Japan.

It was in Tokyo she met a young American soldier. Little did she know this man embraced and loved Japanese culture and often passed as Japanese when donning a kimono and speaking the language. A beautiful and life long love story ensued fraught with drama, hardship, separation, prejudice and distance. The two of them persevered and Keiko left Japan to make a new home in La Verne, California.

Ish arrived with his elegant, stylish and whip smart wife, warmly welcomed by his family. Ish’s mother Altagracia Montes was instrumental in making sure Keiko felt welcomed and the resentment, hatred and hurt prevalent in the USA was not directed towards her beautiful Japanese daughterin-law.

She settled in to life in La Verne and was active in many organizations, volunteering for the schools and Scouts, sewing clothes for her family and welcoming a son, Mark, to the family.

Every year she visited several classrooms, donned a kimono, carrying fresh cooked rice and origami paper, to introduce students to the gracious and beautiful Japanese culture. In later years, students often reminisced about this delicious Japanese sticky rice. Keiko worked in and helped her mother-in-law with the Montes Diner and every Wednesday, when the restaurant was closed, Alta and Keiko would head to Green’s deli in Pomona for pastrami and Reuben sandwiches. Until her death, a good Reuben sandwich, was still Keiko’s favorite.

Once her two children left the nest, Keiko looked for new hobbies. She painted, sewed and made Japanese dolls. Little did her family know, she was a true outdoorswoman. Initially, photography got her out and about to many different places, then she discovered a women’s hiking group, the Trail Trekkers, and hiking became her passion. With the group, Keiko hiked almost every day on local trails and the group also traveled together to hike in different states and even in different countries. At 70 years old, only one year after major back surgery, Keiko successfully hiked the Inca Trail in Peru. After many days on the trail, sleeping in a tent, scaling almost 14,000 foot mountain passes such as Dead Woman’s pass, she climbed the final steep steps to the Sun Gate on her hands and knees and arrived, in a flurry of hugs and tears, at the gorgeous view down to Machu Picchu.

This lifelong passion for hiking was evident during the last week of her life as she shared photo slide shows with her family of the many places she hiked. Even when she could no longer hike, she said she hiked in her dreams.

Keiko enjoyed the joys of grandchildren and cared for and spoiled them to no end. Eric, Alex, Brittany and Allen each developed a close and special relationship with their grandma. She and Ish traveled back and forth to Oregon to attend performances, games, events and holidays. No game or event was insignificant enough to miss. Her last few months of life were filled with the joy of a new great-granddaughter, Lydia. Lydia sensed her great-grandma Keiko was extra special, too, and rewarded Keiko with the most beautiful of smiles and gazes. It was evident by observation, the two of them had a very unique bond.

Keiko and Ish traveled to many places overseas and in 2015 with Ish, daughter Stella and son Mark, Keiko returned to the country which had treated her so poorly post war. She was reluctant to go, but once her feet landed on Japanese soil, the bitterness and resentment washed away. For the four of them, it was truly a trip of a lifetime and Keiko regained her true Japanese self which disappeared the day she departed for the USA.

Keiko was fortunate to be a part of a loving and close family and extended family. Her sister-in-law Ruth Montes Escoto was her guide to everything American and they maintained a long and close relationship. She was close to her motherin-law who treated her as a daughter. Many friends of her children considered Keiko their second Mom. To say that Keiko was devoted to her family is a gross understatement. Her love was powerful and her will strong.

Her immense love for nature was evident in her stunning photographs of landscapes, plants, flowers, insects, etc. and her devotion to preserving Monarch butterflies. She found beauty and joy in the tiniest of flowers in Death Valley and delighted when she observed the mating rituals of insects.

During the last couple years of her life, isolated at home due to the pandemic and health issues, she found joy in looking at her photographs and often remarked “I have no regrets.”

Keiko is survived by her husband of sixty seven years, Ish Montes, daughter Stella and husband Paul Hacker, son Mark and daughter-in-law Cheri Montes, grandsons Alex Montes and Eric Montes, granddaughter Brittany, her husband Daniel Rucker and great granddaughter Lydia Louise Rucker. Her grandson Allen preceded her in death and his wife Pharaba was Keiko’s “YouTube, Tik Tok” watching buddy. The family recognizes and offers their gratitude for the life long love demonstrated by Keiko’s extended family and friends.

A celebration of life will take place on August 6, 2022, 10:30 am, La Verne Church of the Brethren, 2425 E St, La Verne, CA 91750. Luncheon will be served. RSVP by August 3 to Stella Montes Hacker at stella.hacker999@gmail.com if you’d like to attend.

Keiko loved the Huntington Gardens and of course Monarch butterflies. Here are two options if you feel inclined to support nature and insects in honor of Keiko. https://www.huntington.org https://www.xerces.org/