Serafin Montiel III

6 grand children, 3 great grand children, 2 sisters, one brother, nephews and cousins.

Serafin was the 2nd of 4 children born to Aquilino and Bessie Montiel in Tampa, Florida on September 11th 1936. Sonny as he was called lived here in Tampa his entire life, he graduated from Hillsborough High School, joined the National Guard, served his country as a senior wireman in the 116th Artillery division and was honorably discharged on May 4th 1957. Sonny married his sweetheart Ruth Ringo and they had 2 children, Michael and Teresa, he then joined the United States Army Reserve, continued to serve his country as a testimonial of honest and faithful service and was honorably discharged on April 30th 1962. After a long career at Pepin Distributing Company Sonny retired to enjoy his senior years spending time with family and friends.

Sonny loved spending time with his grand children and great grand children, he would play games with them, help them with projects for school and take them out to eat at their favorite restaurants afterwards.

Sonny loved to hunt for big bucks in Colorado and Wyoming in his early years but his greatest passion was fresh water fishing, he would spend weeks at a time with his friends every year fishing the waters of Lake Okeechobee, Lake Tarpon and other various local lakes anywhere there was word of a bite.

Sonny would drop little antidotes about fishing along to his son Michael now and then to also encourage him in his passion for fishing like:

“When you are committed to catch Big Fish, the payoff in the end is worth everything invested when your successful, now sometimes you walk away empty handed……but thats just part of it, that is why they call it fishing and not catching.”

or

“If you fish with a pole, you catch fish when the fish are hungry……if you fish with a net, you catch fish when you are hungry.”

Sonny was always encouraging, never discouraging.

He was a man who loved his Family and Country, took the time to teach and nurture anyone who needed help, anytime.

Sonny came to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior and went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday March 26th, he is now reunited with Family and Loved ones.

He is and always will be greatly missed, and the memories of him will remain in our hearts forever.

Serafin is survived by his son Michael and his wife Svetlana, their daughters Julieanna and Jaylynn, Michaels daughter Tara and her husband CJ, Tara’s daughter Amiya and Michaels son Kyle.

Serafin’s daughter Teresa and her husband Kenny Rasp, their son Connor, Teresa’s oldest daughter Brandi, her husband Ashley Denslow and their two daughters Charlie and Dylan, Teresa’s youngest daughter Amanda and her husband Tim Wissinger.

Serafin’s sister Shirley Kellerhauls and her daughter Kathy and her husband Timothy Todd and their children Jennifer and Jeffrey and their families, Shirleys son Lee Kellerhauls and his wife Darlene and their daughters Courtney and Brooke and their families.

Serafin’s sister Patricia and her husband Dennis Castellano, their son Dennis and his wife Debbie, their daughter Isabella and son Jovanni.

Serafin’s brother Aquilino and his wife Sandra and their 2 sons Jack and Kevin, Jack’s son Jack.