Obituary of James Montalvo

James Montalvo passed away on October 25, 2024. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Sheehan Montalvo, and two daughters, Maeve Montalvo and Morgan Montalvo. He is predeceased by his parents, Juan Montalvo and Gregoria (Gollita) Diaz, both originally of Puerto Rico, and his nine siblings: Clara, Sylvia, Nellie, Lavinia (Libby), Doris, Niki, John, George, and Victor. 

James was a loving husband, father, friend, colleague, and neighbor. He was known as a deliberate man of great integrity and empathy. He was a lifelong learner, leveraging his endless curiosity and tinkerer’s mindset to educate and enrich the lives of others. Always an educator at heart, James touched and improved the lives of countless students and adults across a long life of service. 

James was the second youngest of ten children, the first five of whom were born in Puerto Rico and migrated to New York City with their parents. James was born in Manhattan a few years later on September 8, 1948 and grew up in Chelsea and Brooklyn. In 1969, at the age of 21, he moved to the neighborhood of Marble Hill, which lies on the border between Manhattan and the Bronx, where he lived for the rest of his life. For many of those years James and his family lived in a home he’d purchased through his incredible hard work and financial savvy, aspects of his character that he has passed along to countless people who knew him. 

James attended Aviation High School, where he studied mathematics, physics, and science. He graduated from Hunter College of the City University of New York. It was at Hunter where he met his beloved wife, Mary. The two wed in 1971. 

Early in his career, he was an administrator in Hunter College’s mathematics department, where he developed new methods for teaching undergraduate students. Following Hunter, he worked full-time for 22 years as a billing compliance officer for NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. He also worked part-time for Inwood Community Services, a northern Manhattan non-profit supporting youth through afterschool athletic and academic activities.

James began volunteering with his daughters’ preschool, the Marble Hill Nursery School, when his eldest was four years old. He continued to volunteer with MHNS for the rest of his life, including serving for many years on their board. He wore many hats at the nursery school, from helping to organize school events and dozens of fundraising auctions, to assisting with administrative tasks and performing various odd jobs and duties.

He retained his inquisitiveness and intellectual curiosity throughout his life, limited not just to science and technical interests but embracing the arts in many forms. One of his greatest joys in later years was being the school’s Cool Culture ambassador, through which he encouraged families to visit the many museums, science centers, and other cultural institutions of New York City. James’s commitment to introducing children to the arts at an early age was fundamental to his character. 

Following his retirement James followed his passion for education into a second career as an educator with the Bronx Children’s Museum. As one of the first staff on their “mobile museum,” he traveled to school across the Bronx to engage tens of thousands of students through stories of the animals, plants, and architecture of their borough. Thirteen years later he was present at the opening of the Museum’s Facility in the South Bronx.

But even with all he accomplished in his life, James was most proud of his two daughters. Their interests show evidence of his and Mary’s love of the arts, music, culture, and learning. Their eldest daughter, Maeve, is currently Director of Education at the Museum of the City of New York. Their youngest daughter, Morgan Erina, is an accomplished singer-songwriter who has recorded multiple albums and toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe.

James is also survived by his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Sheehan, his son-in-law, Kevin Lankes, his nieces and nephews Liza, Irene, Tony, and John and their partners, and six great-nieces and nephews. Many friends and colleagues also mourn the loss of James, reflecting his kindness, loyalty, clear thinking, and willingness to help others in almost any situation, as well as his quiet humor and sharp wit. 

All are welcome to join the family for visitation at Riverdale Funeral Home, Inc. at 5044 Broadway, New York, NY on Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 3pm to 7pm. A memorial service will be held 5:30-6:30pm.

Donations are gratefully accepted here. Donations will be used to support the Montalvo family as well as to make charitable gifts in his honor to two organizations about which James cared deeply: the Marble Hill Nursery School and the Bronx Children's Museum.