Lucille Mercedes Peña, 84, a beloved mother, grandma, aunt, cousin, and friend, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2026, after an unexpected but brief illness. She was born on December 13, 1941, in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Tomas and Lucia Montoya, but raised in Encino, New Mexico. She was a graduate of Encino High School and briefly attended the University of New Mexico, where she studied elementary education, but secretly longed to be a secretary. Her passing marks the end of a generation in both the Montoya and Peña families as she was the last living aunt.

Along with her brother, Tom Montoya Jr. and her sister, Fanny Montoya, she created many lasting memories in Encino as a child. On August 22, 1965, she married the love of her life and high school sweetheart, Andy Peña, and they celebrated fifty-six years together until Andy passed away one week shy of their fifty-seventh anniversary in 2021. Together they created a beautiful family of two sons – Chris and Bobby Peña; eventually welcoming April Schaffer, who married Bobby in 2002 and became the daughter she never had. She was also blessed with two granddaughters – Renee (Ricardo) and Alyssa (Darshik), who were the apples of her eye. She also enjoyed spending time with her nieces and nephews – Annette Montoya Navarro (Ronny/Richard), Elaine Montoya-Prickett (Dennis), Philip Montoya, Jennifer Harrison (Matt), and Joseph Harrison – all who fondly called her “Sissy.” She also enjoyed visits from her ‘adopted son’, Rene (Albert) Leon. After Andy died in 2021, she was very touched that her nieces Mary Lou Urioste, Tina Romero, Canda Hernandez, Cindy Lovato, her nephew, Pat Garcia (Amy), and cousin Robbie Larrañaga kept in touch with her. She is also survived by a host of family and friends with whom she enjoyed special times as well, especially her first cousins, Elisia Sanchez, Dodie Vasquez, Nadine Holstrom, and her sister-in-law, Caroline Montoya.

Mercedes was a model of love, resilience, perseverance, and profound faith. After unexpectedly losing most of her eyesight over twenty years ago, she learned how to live life through her own lens. For two decades, she functioned as a legally blind woman and continued to care for herself, her husband, and her family up until recent years, when her son, Chris, became her primary caregiver. She often commented that it was her deep Catholic faith that provided strength to adapt to this new lifestyle and live the life that God set for her.

In her spare time, Mercedes loved above all things spending time with her family. As a homemaker, she took great pride in her home and always had a meal or snack for anyone. She was so proud of her granddaughters for the women they are becoming, and that her family was doing well. She also enjoyed praying, traveling, going to concerts, listening to country and New Mexican Spanish music (she was a huge Elvis Presley fan), camping, sports, watching comedy TV shows (Everybody Loves Raymond, The Golden Girls, Leave It To Beaver), reading, and listening to her audiobooks. She unexpectedly became an animal lover when Chris moved back home to care for her and brought his dog, Jared, whom she enjoyed immensely and missed greatly when he passed away a couple of months ago. She is most known for her famous pumpkin cookies, which she made every Christmas, and the lasagnas she would make for the Super Bowl – both of which became a family tradition. And she was the only one who came the closest to making Andy’s famous green chili stew.

The family would like to thank everyone who assisted with her care: the staff at Presbyterian Complete Care/Home Healthcare, the New Mexico Coalition for the Blind, and especially Sonia Mirabal, who treated her as if she were her own grandma.

Family and friends will remember her on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, with a visitation at French Mortuary – Wyoming and San Antonio from 5-7 pm, with a rosary following at 7 pm recited by her first cousin, Tommy Bachicha, with a light reception afterwards. On March 26, 2026, Mass will be celebrated by Monsignor Richard Olona at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Albuquerque (Lomas and Tennessee) at 11 am, followed by a catered lunch reception from Garcia’s Kitchen to follow at the Moose Lodge on 2121 Edith Blvd. NE (Menaul and Edith) around 12:30 pm. A private family burial will take place in Encino, New Mexico, at a later date.