Leonard (Monte) Blue

Leonard “Monte” DeGroat Blue passed away peacefully at Serenity House on August 18 at age 93. He leaves behind his wife, Judy Blue; daughter, Kimberlee Blue (Matt Barsotti); son, Bradley; three granddaughters; two great-grandsons; and many longtime friends. He was predeceased by his youngest son, Kevin.

Born May 5, 1933, in Los Angeles, Monte lost his mother, Edith DeGroat Blue, at a young age. His father, Leonard F. Blue, also known as Monte, remained part of his life, as did his Aunt Iris Bjork, his mother’s identical twin. His cousins, Rees and John Bjork, predeceased him.

After high school, Monte joined the Army and served as a medic in Germany. He later attended Santa Monica City College, where he met Judy Betts, his wife of 68 years. Tennis brought them together and remained a shared passion throughout their marriage. Monte earned his bachelor’s degree from USC in Public Administration and Accounting. In 1964, he and Judy moved to Santa Barbara with their three young children.

Monte worked for the County of Santa Barbara’s Data Processing Department for 27 years and received a Resolution of Commendation upon retirement. He treasured their Santa Barbara home where he and Judy spent many years entertaining family and friends on the backyard patio. Their beloved desert tortoise, Yertle, was part of the family for 60 years, with Monte serving as her devoted caretaker. He also loved the many Boston Terriers who shared their home over the years.

Those who knew Monte remembered his wide smile, humor, loyalty, and genuine interest in others. He was a wonderful conversationalist, maintained friendships for decades, and carried a youthful curiosity throughout his life.

He loved the outdoors and shared many camping and backpacking adventures with family and friends. He and Judy also spent many years catch-and-release fly fishing in Montana. Monte loved classic cars and was especially proud of his Lotus Elan.

Family remained central to Monte’s life. Last year, he had the special opportunity to meet his first cousin, Lloyd DeGroat, whom his daughter discovered through genetic testing. He dearly loved his granddaughters, Melanie (Christopher) Kohler, Teresa, and Alana, and was proud of his great-grandsons, Jacob (3) and Ryan (2) Kohler. A favorite family memory is Monte reading Dr. Seuss’s Yertle the Turtle to his children and later his granddaughters until the book wore out.

A celebration of Monte’s life will be held in the near future.