March 26, 1925 – March 6, 2013
Dale Lee Montgomery, 87, Sweet Home, died suddenly at home on March 6, of heart failure.
He was born March 26, 1925 in Fayetteville, Ark., to Ray Lee and Mary Otis (Parker) Montgomery, the eldest of four siblings, and grew up in nearby Russellville.
After graduating from Russellville High School, he joined the Navy in 1943 and served in the South Pacific during World War II. He attended University of Oklahoma, University of Wisconsin, Long Beach State College and various trade schools throughout his 35-year aerospace career.
In 1948 he was hired by North American Aviation in Long Beach, Calif. as an electrician on the B-45, America’s first jet bomber. He worked his way up to supervising positions until 1957, when he was hired by Douglas Aircraft for the newly established missile test and launch sites at what is now Vandenburg Air Force Base in California.
He worked as a foreman at Vandenburg until 1965, when he transferred as manufacturing manager on the Thor/Delta and Apollo/Saturn missiles at Cape Canaveral, now Cape Kennedy, in Florida. He worked at the Cape through Apollo 11, which put a man on the moon. In 1969 he was transferred back to Huntington Beach, Calif., to work on the DC-10 aircraft to manage the assembly plant. He retired from aerospace in 1980 and moved his family to their farm in Crawfordsville.
Family was the heart of Dale. He married Mary Nell Allen in 1946 and they had three children in their 10-year marriage. He then married Dorothy Dean Emerson Alley and together they raised their blended families for 10 years. He married Helen Wages Meyers in 1968 and together they had two children in their 32 years of marriage. In 2001 he married Bridget Cooper Wittwer and they enjoyed 11 years of traveling and family events.
Mr. Montgomery was raised a Baptist and has been a key part of the Methodist Church wherever he has lived. He loved anything that flew, boats, gardening, extensive travel and serving in countless service organizations.
He recently wrote, “I have had a good life and I thank all of those who made it so. I love each member of my family, my friends, my country and my Lord. Thanks again for the ride!! God Bless!!”
Mr. Montgomery is survived by his wife Bridget; his five children and their spouses, Annette Montgomery of Santa Cruz, Calif., Gail Montgomery of Albany, Bruce Montgomery of Forest Grove, Kathryn Lowery of San Diego, Calif., and Melanie Stovall of Albany. He is also survived by a stepson, Ray Alley Jr. of Manzanillo, Mexico; stepdaughters Cathy Gibson of Las Vegas, Nev., Christy Duncan of Sweet Home, and Cindy Sieg of Sweet Home; 19 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; survived by his brother Don Montgomery of Mesa, Ariz., and sister Doloris Roof of Bellingham, Wash.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mary Ottis and Roy Lee Montgomery, Sweet Home; sister Dariene Long of Sweet Home; and brother David Montgomery of Long Beach, Calif.; stepchildren Steve Alley of Morro Bay, Calif.; and Tom Alley of Shell Beach, Calif.
A Celebration of Life was held March 6 at the Sweet Home United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers it is requesed that gifts be made to Sweet Home United Methodist Church or Sweet Home Emergency Ministries (SHEM).
Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.