'Force of nature': Simi man who led fight against opioid abuse dies Monday
Pat Montoya was tireless.
When people struggling with heroin or fentanyl addiction needed help, he was there. When their family members, buried by fear and worry, called because they had nowhere else to turn, he came to their side, too.
“He would drive hundreds of miles to help,” his son Jake Montoya said. “It didn’t matter the time of night. He was always able to go.”
Montoya, 63, of Simi Valley, led the Not One More nonprofit formed 11 years ago to fulfill its name and stop deaths from heroin and other opioids. He died Monday in a Los Angeles hospital from what his family called complications following cancer surgery.
News of his passing filled Not One More’s Facebook page with broken heart emojis and stunned testimonials.
"He was the one who helped me before my son passed away," a woman wrote. "I’ve been crying all day long. It’s unbelievable to me."
Montoya lived nearly his whole life in Simi Valley. He worked for Boeing for 30 years and has also been a contract plumber, a security guard, a youth football coach and a counselor at a drug treatment center. He was the guy with the smile and the infectious laugh who knew everyone.
"He was a big teddy bear," said John Poleno, his friend and a Not One More board member. "He kind of had that presence that made you feel safe."
He was also the man people could count on, his wife Debbie Montoya and their adult sons Jake and Kyle said in a phone interview.
"He never met anyone he didn't like," she said. “If you walked into a room, he would be the first one you saw.”
Not One More was formed in the wake of an addiction surge that brought an alarming rise in heroin deaths involving Simi Valley young adults. The group was formed by family members of people who had died from, or struggled with, addiction. Montoya was one of the founding board members and later became the group’s president.
Montoya and other group members talked about addiction to school groups and youth organizations. They worked on getting people into treatment. When fentanyl deaths rocketed, they fought for more resources and ways to stop the rise.
In support of grieving families, they created a Christmas memorial at Simi Valley Town Center with a tree decorated with angels bearing photos of people who died of addiction. Not One More grew into a nationwide organization with at one point more than a dozen chapters, from York, Pennsylvania, to Seattle, Washington.
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“He was convinced everyone could be helped,” said Aliza Nichols of Simi Valley. She met Montoya 12 years ago when she was in rehab. Now she’s a writer, a board member for Not One More and a leader of the nonprofit’s domestic violence and sexual abuse program.
“On your worst day of addiction, he would make you feel like you could do it,” she said.
Mike Judge, a Simi Valley city councilmember, remembered Montoya coming to him and other city leaders when heroin deaths climbed more than a decade ago.
“His impact on the community was amazing... I’m going to miss him. He was such a force of nature,” Judge said.
Not One More board members issued a news release expressing plans to keep the organization going but also noting they are regrouping for the future.
On Facebook, people told how Montoya helped people get in rehab, aided parents struggling with grief and worked for change. Poleno cited the responses in summing up Montoya's impact on people.
"Huge is an understatement. Life changing for people is an understatement," Poleno said. "He will be remembered by many families, probably for generations.
A celebration of life is being planned and is expected to be held in about a month.
Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.
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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Simi's Pat Montoya, who led fight against opioids, dies Monday
