MONTGOMERY, William Howard

Thompson’s Valley West Funeral Chapel Goodyear, Arizona William Howard Montgomery passed away suddenly on February 5, 2010 in El Paso, Texas at the age of 63. William was born in Cherokee, Iowa in 1946 to parents William Howard and Dorothy Munn Montgomery. He was the oldest of 7 siblings, sisters Leah Aikman of Peru, IN, and Mary (Roddy) Spencer of Tucson, AZ, brothers Bob (Marie) Montgomery of Tucson, AZ, Dave Montgomery of San Diego, CA, Chris (Janet) Montgomery of Tucson, AZ, and Rogers (Gina) Montgomery of Tucson, AZ. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Linda (Chapman) of Kokomo, IN and his daughters, Amy (Nathan) May of San Juan Capistrano, CA, Angela Montgomery of Phoenix, AZ, Aggie (Adam) Simcoe of Surprise, AZ, Amanda (Joe) Childress of Keller, TX and his three granddaughters that brought great joy to his life, Ava, Natalie and Grace Simcoe. A Life Scout and alter boy as a child, William went on to serve in the Vietnam War as a helicopter pilot and subsequently attended Indiana University, where he met his wife, Linda in 1971. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. He worked for First Nat’l Bank and Trust of Plainfield, IN as V.P. of Finance and flew for the National Guard, retiring from the military as a Major. Bill spent much of his flight career as a commercial airline captain for ATA from the 1980s through the 2000s, moving his family from Plainfield, IN to Phoenix, AZ in 1998. His life revolved around aviation as well as his love of sailing. Bill was active in the Marina Venice Yacht Club as their former Sailing Fleet Captain and Director. He loved to play golf, ride his motorcycle and thoroughly enjoyed his time with family and friends. Bill was beloved by everyone who encountered him, from the cockpit, to the army base, to the yacht club. He will be profoundly missed. A eulogy service will be from 6 to 9 pm, Thursday February 18, at Thompson’s Valley West Funeral Chapel, 926 S. Litchfield Rd, Goodyear, AZ 85338, and a memorial mass will be at 10 am Friday February 19, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 13720 W. Thomas Rd., Avondale, AZ 85392. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the following: The American Legion Post 61 – Avondale, Arizona and the Special Olympics of Indiana: Plane Pull Challenge.
Posted by Sharla on February 28, 2010

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