Monte Christian Gmur passed away on February 9, 2025, at the age of 75. His life was his music. He started his career as a musician in his teens. As he explained it, his high school band needed a tuba player and he was a big guy. He studied music, practiced hard, and expanded his mastery of instruments to include guitar, piano, organ and pretty much any instrument he picked up. Soon, following in the footsteps of his uncles, Verus John “Babe” Gmur and Ralph Frederick “Fats” Gmur, Monte’s passion for music took flight. Over the years, Monte performed with Junipero Serra High School Band, the Torrance Youth Band, the El Camino Community College Band, the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band, the Red River Dutchmen, the Kingsburg Community Band, and, most recently, with the World Adult Wind Orchestra Project in Schladming, Austria. Monte dedicated 55 years of his life to conducting and arranging music for the Our Lady of Guadalupe choir, St. Anthony High School Marching Saints, the Long Beach Junior Concert Band, the El Camino Community College Band, the South Gate City Youth Band, the Los Caballeros Youth Band, the Santa Ana Winds, and, the crown jewel of his long career, the AUSA Sounds of Freedom Band.
Monte was preceded in death by his parents: Monte Norman Gmur and Laura McMullen Gmur. He is survived by his sisters Teresa Warner and her husband Douglas, Karen Kirkpatrick and her husband Paul, and Juliana Francis Gmur; nieces and nephews Kylene Gilbert and her husband Matthew, Kegan Donlan and her husband Bobby, Christian Warner and his wife Erika, Kellan Warner and her husband Jonathan Liu, River Gmur, Sean Paul Kirkpatrick and his wife Katya Rose, and Brian Kirkpatrick; and grand nieces and nephews Hannah Gilbert, Meaghan Gilbert, Noelle Gilbert, Luke Gilbert, Rory Donlan, Kip Donlan, Rudy Donlan, Kal Donlan, Finley Warner, Connor Lucas Kirkpatrick, Charlotte Rose Kirkpatrick, Sophia Maffei Kirkpatrick, and Eleanor Juliana Kirkpatrick.
His family asks everyone who knew him to keep Monte’s legacy alive by supporting music programs in your area, attending concerts, and, if you are a musician, by keeping the music playing. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Monte C. Gmur Scholarship Fund by contacting Robin Robertson at [email protected] or 559-994-7679.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Monte will be held Friday, February 21, 2025 at10:00 AM at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 15437 W Kearney Blvd, Kerman, CA 93630.
Please join the family for a celebration of life following the Mass at Clovis Veterans Memorial District, Liberty Ballroom, 808 4th Street, Clovis, CA 93612
