Relay For Life 2004

Obtained from Janesville Gazette Copyright 2005 Bliss Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Principal, parents remember Janesville boy, his fight against cancer
Published Tuesday, May 17, 2005
By Shelly Birkelo
Gazette Staff

He dreamed of playing baseball in the major leagues.  His heroes had always been baseball players.

But in the past year, Montez Zinn had become a hero to students and staff at Marshall Middle School.

"Montez had such a great impact on our school,'' Marshall Principal Steve Salerno said. "Despite feeling ill and all he'd been going through, he still made every effort of going to school. He never complained and had a work ethic that was absolutely unmatched.

"He would want to complete homework assignments, and when he missed school, he met with teachers to find out what he needed to do," Salerno added.

"Montez wanted to be with and where the other students were academically. He had an absolute wonderful spirit."

Montez, 12, died at home in his father Melvin's arms Sunday morning after a yearlong bout with cancer.

Gazette readers became familiar with Montez through a story that appeared July 4, 2004. At that time, teammates and friends from Janesville Youth Baseball held a fund-raiser to help pay the boy's medical bills.

Montez maintained a positive attitude until the end. He recently served as an honorary speaker for the American Cancer Society. He explained what it was like to be a child living with cancer.

"He handled it like a trooper. You never would have thought he was sick. He was always very happy and upbeat," his father said.

Even last week, as a doctor told Montez he was going to die, the youth told the doctor he didn't want his dad to think he'd given up, Melvin said.

"He never did,'' Melvin said, adding that his son's dying words were: "Daddy, pray with me.''

Montez's mother, Laquita Walker, said her son had a strong spirit.

"He fought until the end and held on for months for everybody else," she said. "But he'd been letting me know he was tired. Nobody could accept that or understand that, but I could because I was taking care of him."

So Walker let Montez, who had overcome his fear of dying, know that it was OK to let go.

"Once I let him know that he'd be in a much better place than here, he wanted to see everybody," she said.

Among his final visitors was his best friend, Marcus Hall, who lay on the floor beside Montez in a sleeping blanket to comfort him, Walker said.

Both of Montez's parents will miss everything about their son.

"He was special,'' Melvin said, "an angel on earth.''

This page was created by Anne Marie Reece

 updated on07/09/2008

Click to Contact Us