SPECIAL MEMORIAL EDITION

Alfred Montes Deoca

Submitted by Marissa Manatowbi

Alfred Montes Deoca, 85, passed on March 2, 2020 at Autumn View Health Care Facility in Hamburg, NY. He was the son of Pauline Snow and Henry Montes De Oca.

Al was a kind and generous person, always offering a helping hand to neighbors and family, no matter the distance, and never asking anything in return. He was the first in line when work was needed and the last helping finish a job. Some jokingly called him the mayor of Buffalo, as walking with him anywhere in the city was to see faces light up with a smile and wave.

Al was a devoted employee, first for the Gurley Novelty Co., famed for their Christmas candles, and then for two decades at the Gioia Pasta Co. Known for his work ethic, he often had to be urged to take a break. In his later years, he moved to the Autumn View nursing home, where he continued to spread his good nature, greeting everyone and always offering a helping hand. He truly embodied the word selfless and was always seeking ways to be of service to others.

Al is survived by four brothers, Richard, Henry, Clifford, and Raymond, two sisters, Maria Corwin and Rosalie Deoca, and numerous adoring nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Juanita Ortel, and his brother Fernando.