Dr. George L. Monto

George Luther Monto, MD, of Newberg, Oregon died Tuesday, December 17, 2019 of multiple organ failure brought on by infection. He was 83. He is survived by his son Martin Monto (Cecelia) of Lake Oswego, grandchildren Andrea Monto of Portland and Aaron Monto of Lake Oswego, and his brother, Alexander Monto (Marian) of Aptos, California. He was predeceased by his wife Lois Monto and his daughter Janet Monto. George grew up in Springfield, Illinois, where he enjoyed a “free range” childhood, playing outside and spending vacations at Lake Gogebic, Michigan. He graduated from Lanphier High School in 1953, attended Blackburn College and Illinois College, and received his medical degree from the University of Chicago. George completed Air Force ROTC and served in the Public Health Service following his residency, and began a career of providing medical care to vulnerable populations. George lived most of his life in Topeka, Kansas, where he worked at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in internal medicine. He also conducted research on the liver while at the VA and took two half-year fellowships to pursue liver research at the Royal Free Hospital in London. George’s passion was art. He was an avid painter, working mostly in watercolor. He also loved and collected art, especially Mexican art. George and Lois traveled regularly to New Mexico and particularly enjoyed vacations at Ghost Ranch, which usually involved a lot of painting and art galleries. He continued painting even during the final months of his life. In 2004, George and Lois moved to Friendsview Retirement Community in Newberg, Oregon for a change of scenery and to be closer to their son and grandchildren. As Lois suffered impairment due to Parkinson’s Disease, George continued to keep her active, and involved her in travel, especially to the Oregon Coast. George will be remembered particularly for his benevolent spirit and kindness. He did not judge others and was slow to anger. His personal motto was “be a friend to everyone.” Those who knew him in recent years remark on how these qualities persisted, even when he was faced with physical decline and difficulty speaking. Memorial services will be held at Attrell’s Funeral Chapel in Newberg, Oregon on Sunday, December 29th at 1:30. Remembrances may be sent to the National Ghost Ranch Foundation, 280 Private Drive 1708 Abiquiu, NM 87510-2001 or https://www.ghostranch.org/support/donate-now/

Dr. George L. Monto

March 2, 1936 - December 17, 2019