Mary Montoya Torrez

Mary Montoya Torrez died peacefully of natural causes in her home on the morning of May 26, 2020. She was eighty-six years old. She spent her last days surrounded by her children who lovingly cared for her until her last breath.

Mary Montoya Torrez was born on April 17, 1934, in Waelder, Texas to Daniel and Ramona Montoya. In 1950 she married Casimiro Torrez, who was from Georgetown, Texas. Mary was sixteen years old and Cas was eighteen. They were married for sixty-five years until his death in 2015. During the five years since his death, she was cared for by her six children who all live in the Pflugerville area. A special thanks to daughter Rita Torrez, who lived with her Mom to help care for her.

Early in their marriage, the young couple moved to Lubbock, Texas where they started their family. In 1968 they moved their growing family to Austin, Texas where Cas started Torrez Trim and Cabinet. Their first house in Austin was on Navasota Street where the University of Texas baseball field now sits. They remained in the Austin and Pflugerville area for the rest of their lives.

Family and faith were the most important things in Mary’s life. After she accepted Christ, she insisted that Cas and the children began attending church, which they did faithfully for the rest of their lives. It gave her joy that all of her children remain active Christians and inherited her faith. Mary believed deeply in the power of prayer and was known to everyone as a “Prayer Warrior.” She spent many hours praying for her family. Mary was generous, kind and forgiving. Her love for her family was unconditional, no matter how many times they made mistakes, she was always there for them. She was one of the most loving people you could ever know. Sister Mary was a fixture at Tree of Life Church in Pflugerville where she attended for over twenty years. She had her regular seat, and she rarely missed a Sunday service. Her Church family loved her and treated her with great respect and kindness.

Mary was preceded in death by her first son Joe, who died at birth; her son Benny, who died at two years of age, her adopted son Raymond, who died in 1998, and husband Cas who died in 2015. Mary leaves behind six children; son Rudy Torrez and wife Liz of Pflugerville; daughter Sylvia Sanders and husband David of Austin; son Fred Torrez and wife Yvonne of Pflugerville; daughter Rita Torrez of Pflugerville; daughter Eva Fletcher and husband Doug of Pflugerville; and daughter Esther Johnson and husband George of Pflugerville. Grandma Torrez is also adored by 16 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and many friends.