"Monty" Clarence S Montgomery

Services will be streamed and can be accessed at 11:45 a.m. the day of the service by clicking on the follow link - https://zoom.us/j/99961906733

Clarence S Montgomery (Monty) age 94. Our loving and beloved father, grandpa, great grandpa, great-great grandpa passed away on December 25th at his home of natural causes.

Dad was born in Heber, UT at home, into humble beginnings on May 25, 1930. His parents are Shield and Ila (Edna Sulzer) Montgomery. He was the middle of nine children. The family moved to multiple locations due to his father's employment during the Great Depression. His family finally settled into a home on the lane next to the BYU Dairy Farm.

Monty met Norma Lynn Cook in a wood working class at Lincoln High School in Orem, UT. They later married in the Salt Lake Temple on November 2, 1949. They are the parents of six children.

Monty was too young to join the Army during WWII, so he joined the Utah Guard. He also worked at Geneva Steel. Later, he joined the National Guard, which provided him the training in mechanics for future employment. He worked very hard, by trading his aircraft mechanic labor, to earn his pilot's license both in fixed wing and helicopter. In furthering his education in the Guard, his young family would temporarily move to attend training in Texas, Virginia, and Alabama. Wherever he went, he wanted Norma to be with him, and she was willing to go. 

After Monty received his helicopter license in 1966, he flew helicopters doing various jobs including powerline checks, flew crew members between the oil platforms and mainland in Alaska, and then worked for the Forest Service flying Helitack crew into their locations to fight fires, as well as performing bucket drops of water from the helicopter over hot spots. He survived three helicopter crashes. Norma told Monty later, that she had been given a strong assurance from the Lord that he would never be killed flying. After breaking his back, in his last accident, she did admit that she had not been assured he would not be injured. 

After Dad retired from the Guard as a First Sergeant and from the Forest Service, he was offered to teach Aircraft Mechanics at the Salt Lake Community College, which he did for seven years. He also worked as a volunteer pilot for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office for one year.

After "retirement", Monty and Norma found the opportunity to travel to several states and countries. They especially loved Israel and Switzerland. They also served two missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They served in the Canada, Toronto, Ontario Mission and then in the Florida, Jacksonville Mission, where they loved the members very much. They also helped set up the first branch in Williston. Monty later served as a counselor in the bishopric. 

Monty loved the neighbors and the children on the street. The “Dads” on the street, knew that Monty’s garage held any tool they might need for borrowing. Monty was a kid at heart himself, and we have a memory of him skateboarding along with the kids.

Monty and Norma led the “Young Marrieds” for the Ward, and they held periodic dances throughout the years. These dances often began with a dance lesson, and they became familiar with different ballroom dances. They found they loved to dance and continued having dance nights out, well into their seventies. 

Later, they joined the Temple Riders Association and rode with the group of other motorcyclists to various temples in the western states on a Honda Goldwing. Eventually, they added a side car, making it a gentler ride for Norma. 

Monty felt the most important task that he undertook in his later years was providing care for Norma during the final two years of her life. She could not speak clearly and so communication was difficult for them. She suffered from complications due to cancer and its related surgeries. Monty and Norma had celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary in 2019. It was March 27, 2020, when she passed away, and the beginning of the Covid 19 Pandemic. There could be no gatherings of any kind. Only direct children and their spouses stood at her casket. Monty presided over her burial and read a tribute he had written to her. It was a sad, wintery day. After that experience, he told each of us, we would hold a funeral for our mother at the time of his own death, and he expected us to interweave her funeral with his. As his children, we intend to honor his wishes at this time.

Survived by his children Debra (Kent), Karen (Michael), Larry (Linda), Lynn, Kristine (Lyle), (Khaled), his brother Bryce Montgomery, his sister Ila McDonald, 18 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and to-date 12 great-greats. He is preceded in death by his wife Norma, his daughter Kimberly, his parents Shield and Ila, brothers Victor, John, Glade, Joel, sisters Dawna, Mary, daughters-in-law Suzanne Montgomery, Judy Baker Montgomery. 

A visitation will be held Friday, January 3, 2025, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Cannon Mortuary, 2460 E Bengal Boulevard, Cottonwood Heights, UT.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, January 4, 2025, at Noon at the LDS Chapel, 2925 East Bengal Boulevard, Cottonwood Heights, UT. A visitation will be held prior at the church from 11:00-11:45 a.m.  Interment Mt. View Memorial Cemetery.