Alexander
Monterrosa
Beloved husband, father, grandfather, teacher, runner, and man of deep faith, Alex passed peacefully at home in Anchorage at the age of 79. He lived with boundless love, humor, and dedication to others.
Below you will find his stories
When someone dies, their story doesn’t end. The people they loved, and who loved them, carry it forward. In memories, in stories, in the shape of who we become because of them.
His Stories
HIS STORIES
Stories from the Road
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A journey through family cars and the lives they carried — from bumpy rides in old Chevys to the legendary ‘67 Toyota Corona that crossed borders and generations. Papa’s stories blend humor, love, and life lessons from behind the wheel.
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Running Around The World
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From rejection on the baseball bench to racing 45-mile ultramarathons in the Alaskan wild, Papa’s life was rewritten one stride at a time. In this deeply personal conversation, he shares how running became his lifeline, his community, and his legacy. A story of resilience, love, and motion.
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Lessons Beyond the Classroom
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From stolen lemon drops to Jesuit retreats, Papa reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped his sense of right and wrong, his spiritual journey, and his path through an English-speaking world he didn’t fully understand at first. A story of grace, redemption, and lifelong learning.
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Love, Laughter & Laundry: The Story of Us
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From childhood crushes and accordion tuxedos to a $100 wedding and a marriage that outlasted doubt and disapproval, Papa and Grandma share the remarkable story of how they fell in love and stayed there. Told with tenderness and comedy, this is a story of faith, devotion — and a little poop on the pants.
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The Cabin We Built
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A simple family cabin in Alaska becomes a generational legacy of labor, love, and resilience. From chainsaws and hand-painted rocks to fire scares and thoughtful landscaping, Papa shares the origins and meaning of a place where memories were built one board, one laugh, and one prayer at a time.
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The Psych Ward to the Second Grade
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In this remarkable journey, Papa recounts how early jobs, civil rights tensions, and psychiatric work in 1960s San Francisco shaped a lifetime of purpose in the classroom. With honesty and heart, he reflects on decades of teaching, singing, and serving — and the joy of seeing his own grandchildren carry the language and legacy forward.
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Crimes of Our Youth
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From firecrackers in the mailbox to a marble cannon inspired by The Guns of Navarone, Papa and his brother Mario recall the unforgettable misadventures of their childhood in 1950s San Francisco. Hilarious, heartfelt, and often borderline criminal, this is a story of rope leashes, pine cone ambushes, and brotherhood forged through scraped knees and kitchen-table justice.
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Hiking The Chilkoot
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In 1977, a family of seven hiked the historic Chilkoot Trail — 33 miles of rugged terrain, melting snow, and gold rush ghosts. Through pudding mishaps, snow-capped passes, and one unforgettable stew at Lake Bennett, Papa and his family relive the hardship, humor, and heritage of their four-day journey across the border. A story of grit, hunger, and a shared spirit of adventure.
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Visiting El Salvador
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Papa and his family reflect on their ties to El Salvador — a country of vivid beauty, deep contradictions, and a legacy scarred by war and wealth. Through stories of farm smells, border bribes, rubber snakes, land inheritance, and heartbreak, this is a deeply personal window into immigration, memory, and the place once called home.
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A Tale of Two Teachers
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Two brothers. Two paths. One calling. From Alaska’s kindergartens to San Francisco’s trade schools, Papa and Mario reflect on the purpose, struggles, and spiritual power of teaching. With laughter, scars, and relentless love, they reveal how education — especially for Latinos — is the great equalizer, and how classrooms became their life’s work.
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Punto Número Uno
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Stealing candy, getting tricked into melting rifle-range lead, selling fake Persian rugs, and dodging flying firecrackers — Papa and Uncle Mario’s childhood was part sitcom, part survival camp. Set in 1950s San Francisco, this episode captures frontier justice, handwritten punishment lists, and the absurd adventures of two mischievous brothers trying to make sense of a wild, loving household.
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Pupusas & The Patriarchs
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In a laugh-out-loud and deeply heartfelt conversation, Papa, Mario, and Joaquin share memories of accordion teachers, Salvadoran feasts, public spankings, and legendary camping trips. Rich with warmth, irreverent humor, and legacy, this is a family tapestry as wild as it is wise.
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Moving to alaska
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In 1975, with one offer and every dollar they had, Papa and Grandma left behind their San Francisco roots for the unknown promise of Anchorage. This story follows their early days — freighted cars, snow-packed roads, freezing car repairs, and running up Lazy Mountain for fair admission. A deeply human tale of transition, courage, and the unexpected beauty of starting over.
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Rope Swings and Corner Stores
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In this sweeping portrait of childhood, Papa and Grandma recall growing up in opposite corners of 1950s San Francisco — one in the foggy hills of the Richmond District, the other in the sun-soaked Navy housing of the Mission. From hot tamales and piano dreams to stairball games and penny candy, this is a story of place, belonging, and the beautiful mess of growing up.
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The outcasts
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From model airplanes and milkshake jobs to baseball games played in mismatched uniforms, Papa and Mario recount the bold, hilarious, and often heartbreaking shenanigans of their youth. In a world of clay gladiators, busted sweaters, orange corduroy, and unsanctioned dates, two brothers carved a childhood full of grit, laughter, and fierce loyalty — even when it meant dodging priests and tax-hating tias.
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The Things That Still Matter
Kaleo invites you to slow down — to move with purpose, to remember what life feels like when it breathes with meaning.
The land
Kaleo begins with the land — the rolling fields, still mornings, and the quiet rhythms of nature. This is a place where sheep graze under golden light, where time slows, and the earth reminds us what it means to be rooted.
The Spirit
There’s a spirit here that lives in the details — the warmth of shared meals, the honesty of hard work, the echo of footsteps on wooden floors. It’s in the stories passed down, in the breath between tasks, in the care behind every simple act.
The Vision
Our vision is to protect what matters — space, silence, beauty, and belonging. Kaleo is not just a place to visit, but a way of being. We invite those who seek intention, wonder, and a deeper kind of wealth to return to what truly nourishes.
western beauty
Some moments speak louder than words — a trail through morning mist, a hand on a horse’s mane, the shadow of trees dancing on an old wooden floor.