Edwin F. Montgomery, Jr. ’50

Edwin F. Montgomery, Jr. ’50, of Lake City, Fla., died Sept. 7 at his residence following an extended illness. Born on June 2, 1927, Montgomery was the son of the late Edwin F. Montgomery, Sr. and Margaret Horton Montgomery. He joined the U.S. Army and served during the occupation of Japan in 1946-47. He graduated from Davidson in 1950 and from the Union Theological Seminary in 1954 and married June Conyers that same year. He worked for a brief time in the final estimates department of the State Road Department (D.O.T.). Montgomery’s career in the ministry began in 1954, as he served as the minister for both the Jasper and White Springs Presbyterian Churches. He then served the Orange Park Presbyterian Church and was elected the minister emeritus of that church in 1992. The administrative building of that church still bears his name. He also organized Boy Scout Troop #414 while serving in Orange Park. In 1975 he began his ministry in Lake City at the First Presbyterian Church, where he served until he was honorably retired by the Presbyterian Church of U.S.A. in June of 1992. He was subsequently elected minister emeritus there, as well. Following his retirement he wrote and published a biography of his father that was entitled, Dr. Mont: An Exceptional Man. Montgomery was presented the Service to Mankind award by the Orange Park Sertoma Club and was awarded the Citizen of the Year award by the Orange Park Rotary Club. He was flown aboard the aircraft carrier the Saratoga and spent three days as the guest of Captain Freeman and Admiral Baldwin for the work that he had done with the bereaved families of the husbands and fathers who had been killed during the Vietnam War. He was named Lake City Citizen of the Year by the Lake City Rotary Club and was made an honorary member. He received the Silver Beaver Award from the North Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He served as the chairman of the Suwannee River District of the Boy Scouts of America and on the board of directors of Lake Shore Hospital including a stint as chairman. He helped organize the Christian Service Center and served on the first board of directors. He served on the District V Mental Health Board of North Central Florida and on the human studies of the research and development committee for the Veterans Administration Hospital. Other services included a year as the president of the Columbia County Ministerial Alliance and the four years that he spent with the allocations committee of the Suwannee Valley United Way. For 35 years, Montgomery conducted small group camps for the young people in the churches that he served at the Montgomery Camp on the Suwannee River: the last 10 years were canoeing camps held on the many rivers in North Florida. The rustic camping facility located at Montgomery Camp and Conference Center was dedicated to Ed and June Montgomery in 1992. Montgomery’s spare time was spent doing research on the genealogies of Lake City, Columbia County, Luraville, the State of Florida, and one of his final projects was the history of the Lake City Fire Department that began in 1883. Montgomery is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, June C. Montgomery, 942 NW Scenic Lake Dr., Lake City, FL 32055-8590; his three sons, Edwin F. Montgomery III (Jennifer), Joseph Montgomery (Rebekah), and Jim Montgomery (Cynthia); his two brothers, James H. Montgomery ’55 and David Montgomery (Theta); and his eight grandchildren, David Montgomery (Zita), Emily Montgomery, Anne Montgomery, Mary Beth Montgomery, Hannah Montgomery, Kate Montgomery, Scotty Montgomery, and Melissa Montgomery.