Obituary of Daniel Gerard Montano

It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved son Daniel on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. He was 35 years old. He leaves behind his father, Daniel G. Montano; mother,Marisela Montano; brother, Sergio and sister-in-law; Stacey; niece, Lina; nephew, Micah. He will be missed by his grandparents; Maria A. Moreno and Leo and Rosemarie Montano, loving aunts and uncles, an abundance of loving cousins and many friends. He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Rene E. Moreno and cousin, Tyler Grove. Along with his God-given gift of bringing love to people. He also enjoyed playing the piano, loved to read and enjoyed movies. Growing up, he exceled in sports including soccer, swimming and little league baseball. He also enjoyed his time in the Scouts and was an altar server at St. Joseph's Parish. He attended the Fire Cadet Academy and learned valuable skills that would carry him throughout his life. He had completed the Empower U leadership program and found friends and a support system there. He rode motorcycles and loved tinkering with classic cars, which he enjoyed doing with his father and brother. He had many skills, from helping his father build his childhood home, to assisting with any construction job his father had. He was skilled with his hands and was curious to see how things were built and worked. He was proud to become an uncle when his brother and sister-in-law became parents. He loved his mom and nana's cooking and enjoyed meals shared with family. Deep inside he was suffering in the darkness, privately battling a deep inexplicable pain. He left the pain, but he also left us all and we will never be the same again. Now he is no longer in pain. Yet we will always continue to hurt. We honor his struggle and pain while acknowledging the strength and progress he had made to try and overcome his illness. Over the years, he asked for help and was quick to lend a hand to others when they needed it. In his honor, his family asks for the following: 1.If you need help, ask for it. Can it be scary to take that step? No doubt. But you are not alone. 2. Seek to build others up, not tear them down. In little ways every day, we each can try to make a constructive difference. A smile, a kind word, a moment of your time can make a huge impact on others. 3. Avoid drama. It does no good. Use your energy more wisely - there is only so much to go around. 4. Recognize small moments of joy, for they happen all the time. We just have to notice. He was a spiritual man who valued the word of the bible.