Esther Montanez, tireless advocate for the rights of people with serious and persistent mental illness and a mentor and friend to many, passed away on Friday, May 5, 2006 at the age of 70.
Esther was born in 1936 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. As a teenager, she became an active volunteer, then employee of the Children’s Aid Society. It was there she found her life’s calling to help those in need.
In 1962, Esther began her career at Fountain House, a pioneer organization in community mental health services. Over the ensuing 44 years, Esther helped to revolutionize the field of mental health services and touched the lives of thousands around the world. She embodied the Fountain House philosophy of strength-based programming which recognizes the contributions that all people have to make to society.
Esther played a pivotal role in the expansion of vocational opportunities for people with mental illness and the development of new community programs such as Fountain Gallery, an artists’ cooperative located on Ninth Avenue. Through her work, she attacked the stigma associated with mental illness and recruited many influential people to the cause of better services and greater human rights for individuals with major mental illness. In 1978, she befriended Rudolph Giuliani, then an attorney with a private New York City law firm, who became a devoted supporter of Fountain House. Mr. Giuliani created job opportunities for Fountain House members at his law office and later, in the Office of the Mayor.
Esther was also instrumental in the development of Fountain House model programs throughout the world, assisting in the development of a training program at Fountain House and visiting countries from Sweden to South Africa to promote the Fountain House philosophy and help establish new programs.
Esther received the John Beard Award, named for the founding Director of Fountain House, for her contributions in 1990. Esther was active for many years as a Council Member of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Manhattan. She served a three-year term as New York City Human Rights Commissioner under former mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.
In a statement, Mr. Giuliani remembers, “Esther was a good friend, an advisor and someone I greatly admired. She was a compassionate and courageous person who dedicated her life to giving dignity and independence to the mentally ill through Fountain House. She will be missed.”
Esther is survived by a sister, Anna Bradley of South Toms River, New Jersey and brother, Ben Montanez of Kentucky and seven nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a brother, Danny Montanez. A church service will be held on Saturday, June 3, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 308 West 46th Street, followed by a reception and celebration of Esther’s life at 1:00 p.m. at Fountain House, 425 West 47th Street.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes contributions to the Esther Montanez Memorial Fund at Fountain House. For information, please contact Alison Woolworth at 212-582-0341, extension 1182 or make a gift online. Please indicate in the Honor/Memorial section that the gift is in memory of Esther Montanez.
