Village of Monticello - Luis deHoyos

Luis deHoyos was born in Spain to Froilan and Antonia deHoyos on 21 July 1892. He received part of his education in Madrid, although he studied chemistry in the U.S. He came to America in 1908 at age 16 and became associated with the Synfleur Scientific Laboratories in Monticello NY under the mentorship of Alois von Isakovics, founder of Synfleur Laboratory. deHoyos served as Mayor of Monticello for 16 years. A park and a street here are named in his memory.

Synfleur began in New York City in 1889 and in 1904 moved it to Monticello. von Isakovics was also an immigrant. A native of Prague, born 21 July 1870, he attended the Chemistry School of the University of Vienna. His father was a general judge advocate of the Austrian Army. In 1886 (at age 16) he came alone to America. von Isakovics married in 1905 in New York City, Mary Upshur Sturges, the only daughter of Josiah Robert Sturges. They had three daughters and two sons. Alois died 5 June 1917.

Luis deHoyos worked his way up to business manager. He was also a direstor of the National Bank and the Sullivan County Savings and Loan Association. He was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons since being raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on November 28, 1980; Royal Arch Masons, and Knights Templar; as well as the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks. He was president of the local Republican Club, and a member of the Liberty NY Golf Club. He served for 13 months in the Sanitary Service of the U.S. Army (WW1) as a 1st Lieutenant. He was in the U. S. Army Reserve and a member of the American Legion of Monticello NY, which he organized.

In 1920 he married Marie von Isakovics (daughter of the above Alois) and Mary Upshur Sturges. Luis and Marie had 2 children, Luis II and Rose Marie. Luis deHoys died on May 4, 1985.

Sullivan County Historian John Conway added the following clarification in an e-mail to Tom Rue on March 13, 2004: "The senior Mayor de Hoyos was mayor for 12 years, and died while still in office in 1951 at the age of 58. He was married to Marie von Isokovics, daughter of Alois von Isakovics, founder of Synfleur Labs. The couple had a daughter, Rose Marie and a son, also named Luis, who served as village mayor himself in the late 1960s or early 1970s and died in 1985. I believe the exact years of the elder de Hoyos mayoral career were 1935-1947 and 1949-1951. A Republican, de Hoyos was defeated by 63 votes in 1947 by the Democrat and American Labor candidate, Dr. Charles Solms in one of the most hotly contested elections in Sullivan County history... This is all off the top of my head, but I think it is all accurate."

Dr. James Sullivan (1927). The History of New York State, 1523-1927 (Biographical Volume, p. 129-130). Text from this source was posted by Ms. Susan Schock to the SullCounty e-mail discussion list on April 5, 1999.