By Giovanni Roverso
July 15, 1987 – April 8, 2015
Peninsula College student Catherine Montantes, known to friends and family as Cat, died in the early morning of Wednesday, April 8, when doctors at the University of Washington Medical Center turned off life support. She was 28.
Montantes suffered from dermatomyositis since last summer. Her first hospitalization in September led to the diagnosis of what turned out to be a severe case of the rare inflammatory disease.
Cat was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska with her mother, Ralphenia Knudson, 52, and her siblings James “Jimmy” Montantes III, 31, Ralphenia Montantes Jr., 30, and Steven Montantes Jr., 27.
From her mother’s side the family belongs to the Tlingit tribe. Knudson said Cathy chose to be baptized Catholic out of love for the Mexican ethnicity she inherited from her father’s side.
“She did everything that your typical girl would do: cheerleading, babysitting, wrestling… She even got a high school wrestling jacket. You have to earn those,” Knudson said.
“She was a free spirit, happy-go-lucky, by the seat of her pants, go in, ask questions later.” Knudson said Cat headed to California right after graduating from her Anchorage high-school and was helped along her way by the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps college program.
“She moved to make money and pursue a career, she was a free gypsy, that’s what I loved about her. She just up and went, and instead of being scared and nervous, was excited and nervous, no fear, that young lady.”
Fred Robinson, a dear friend of Cathy’s and president of the campus Above Ground Underground Comedy Club, said she loved the Peninsula and her beloved Peninsula Pirates. He said she’d considered going back to Kansas where she had been previously, but liked the area and wanted to graduate from this school. She was studying to be in law enforcement.
“She certainly had the personality for it, she could be serious and funny at the same time” said Robinson, “she’s the kind girl that can hit you up the side of the head and laugh about it.”
Her mother agreed, “she would be up for anything, that’s Cathy. She was doing her criminal justice study and wanted to be a border patrol officer the last time we talked about that.”
Her death was “numbing, unbelievable. Expected, but not so soon,” said Robinson. Montantes had also been the vice-president of the comedy club from spring through fall quarter 2014. Robinson recalled her stage debut at the club’s Little Theater comedy showcase on Mar. 7 of last year, “She did well! Though I kind of had to rescue her on a risky joke she made about Obama. You’ve got to be careful when it comes to politics.”
“Her sense of humor was unbelievably quick and sharp. I can’t even tell you how much I’m going to miss my daughter, it’s like a cruel nightmare. She had nephews and nieces she adored and loved, and was really proud of them. She was very close to her siblings,” said Knudson.
Ralphenia recalled the time right after her daughter was born. Cat had a thick head of black hair. Her brother and sister, 8 and 6 at the time, decided they all had to look alike. “They were starting on the younger brother’s curved bangs when I caught them, so her hair was only very long for a little bit!” Knudson said, “there was a lot of love and camaraderie with her siblings. She’d always be outgoing and her brothers loved following her lead.”
Cat’s memorial took place a few days ago in Juneau. She will be missed but not forgotten.