Esther Montoya Ward, 87, passed on August 30, 2026, and is now Home.

A proud native of Albuquerque, she was born and raised in the Duranes neighborhood and graduated from Valley High School.

She later married and had two children. Esther pursued a career as a Medical Transcriber at Presbyterian Hospital for 10 years. There she met her future husband, Paul Ward.

Paul and Esther married in 1975 and Esther welcomed Paul’s four children and later had a son. They began attending the Montgomery Church of Christ in Albuquerque, where Esther and Paul would find cherished friends and build long-lasting relationships.

Esther taught Sunday school to energetic 4 and 5 year olds, eventually transitioning to teach preschoolers at the Albuquerque Christian School. She called these 20 years the “best years of my life.” She made ingeniously creative handicrafts and was utterly devoted to teaching her students. Her lessons brought her faith to life with infinite patience and understanding. Sharing her faith with the young was one of her passions.

When Esther retired from teaching, she and Paul began traveling regularly in their fifth-wheel trailer and also took several notable trips to Hawaii and an Alaskan cruise. When they could no longer travel, they spent more time with friends and volunteering with the church. They lead the Young at Heart program for senior church members, organizing day trips and potlucks. She and Paul took long walks daily with their dogs and enjoyed working in their beautiful gardens. They enjoyed collecting Carnival Glass, and visited estate sales weekly to build their collection. Esther painted in acrylics for several years and met regularly with her church friends for birthday lunches and special celebrations.

Esther’s touchstone was always her church family and the teachings of Jesus Christ. When Paul, her husband of 49 years, passed away in May 2025, Esther lived a solo life for the first time. She had the support of her family, friends and her precious dog, Toby, to get through the tough period.

In May of this year, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told her family and doctors that she would not have treatment. “I want to go Home,” she said many times. She had several good months where she could take Toby on short walks, meet with her friends who visited daily and even planned her 87th birthday celebration, inviting her closest friends, neighbors and daughters. We are blessed to have had her unwavering faith as an example to us all.

Esther is survived by six children: Sue Fowler (Dave), Val Sanchez (Tina), Shirley Zirwas (Jeff), Norma Sanchez (Michael), John Ward, and Dwayne Ward, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, her beloved husband, Paul, her son Paul Ward, Jr, and her sweet grandson Derek Sanchez.

If you would like to honor Esther, please donate to the charity of your choice, some of Esther’s favorites were: Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home, Meals on Wheels-New Mexico and Paws and Stripes.

A celebration of her life will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at Montgomery Church of Christ at 10 a.m. with a graveside service to follow at the Santa Fe National Cemetery.