Roy Edward Montgomery

It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to my love, Roy. We had so many good years of laughter and fun together but sadly dementia robbed him of any quality of life these past few years. 

The son of Dorothy M. Corman and Earl L. Montgomery, he grew up with his siblings, Robert of Bayfield, Tina (deceased, Ron Tschanz) and Doug (Leanne) of Mississauga. As a boy growing up in Weston his passion was Little League Baseball, which as a teen turned to golf, a lifelong pleasure. HIs grandfather John W Corman was mayor of Moose Jaw Saskatchewan and longtime Attorney General in the Saskatchewan Government of Tommy Douglas, father of the Canadian socialized medicine. 

A graduate of Weston Collegiate he went on to obtain a BA in Science of Chemical Engineering, from Waterloo Co Op. While still at university he married his sweetheart   Elizabeth Passer. His Co Op education led him to a permanent position in 1969 with Kimberly-Clark and he came to Huntsville as a Process Engineer in the newly built papermaking facility, working in the water plant in 1970. His career with that company took him to St Catherines, Rexdale, Neenah WI, Prudoe UK, back to Huntsville, Beech Island SC and Bahrain rising to Operations Manager in many of those locations where he was well respected for his diligence and kindness to employees working under him. 

But Roy was most of all a father to Matthew (Laura Davis) and there was not a thing he would not do for his son. He had the ability to get to the level of kids in fun and adored his three grandchildren, Cameron, Ian and Gracen. He often made the trip to Cookstown,  just  to play with them for a few hours. 

Roy married me, Lynn Webb in 1992 and I have come to love Matt too as my son. Roy raised an amazing man. Roy was a good stepfather to my three children, Lance, Marcia and Jeff Webb although they were all on their own by that time. 

Roy joined the Muskoka Music Men in the early 90’s and loved his barbershop singing especially Singing Valentines out in the community. When we moved to South Carolina, he continued the hobby there and made great friends with Ted and Warren and I sang with their wives. It was a very happy time in our life together with fun and friends and harmony. He and his buddies loved to tell jokes and they probably told the same ones over and over. He had a quirky sense of humour and was well liked by all. He sang again in Huntsville when we returned in 2005. 

Upon retiring at 58 and bored by daily golf he became a high school chemistry teacher in North Augusta, South Carolina High School. That became the biggest challenge of his life preparing daily lessons and dealing with so many classes, most of whom were not the least bit interested in learning chemistry much to his chagrin. Upon our return to Huntsville in 2005 and again taking up residence on Golden Pheasant Dr, he played golf for fun in earnest and marshalled at Mark OMeara, Deerhurst and North Granite RIdge for many years and enjoyed his many golf buddies. He had a vivid imagination and often told me when he golfed alone that he would be neck in neck with Arnold Palmer coming up to the 18th green and the odd time would beat him! 

Together we travelled the world with outstanding trips to UK, Egypt, Dubai, three weeks in Turkey, Peru (including the four-day hike to Machu Pichu), Galapagos, and a three-week tour of Chile and Argentina which included hiking the W Trek in Patagonia. Our last holiday together was the wonderful Rocky Mountaineer train from Calgary to Vancouver in May 2022. We always enjoyed visiting our good friends in SC and Kelowna. 

My favourite time in our last good years together would be sitting in our living room just talking about the kids, the news, whatever. He was a walking encyclopedia of golf info, the famous players and their history and the different famous courses. He was thrilled to get tickets to the master's many times during our SC sojourn. He was also a man of routine and lists – I jokingly would tell him that I had to be careful what I asked for in case I was not really sure I wanted it done because if it got on the list it was done! But this trait was what made him so successful in his career as he never let a detail get by without dealing with it. 

Dementia is a cruel disease and losing the right to drive his car was the first huge blow, He then rode his bike and then just walked for miles every day but always managed to get home. He had been in care in Barrie since September 2022 and the last year in Fairvern  Nursing Home having lost the ability to communicate or walk. I cannot say enough about the wonderful staff there who looked after him so well. I will remember the funny little smile he gave me the last time I saw him.. 

If you  wish donations to Fairvern Nursing Home or the Alzheimer’s Society of Muskoka, it  would be appreciated.  

A Celebration of Life will take place on  Saturday,  January 18, 2025 at 2 pm at Trinity United Church, 33 Main Street, East Huntsville.  

Many thanks to hospice staff who stepped in when I couldn’t and to Rev Diane Knowles for her comfort and concern as well as the many wishes of condolences from friends and family.