Philip Montgomery, Sr.

Philip Reid Montgomery Sr., 77, died at his home in Lawrence, KS on July 6, 2013.  Phil was born in Grand Rapids, MI on May 11, 1936, the son of Reid and Roberta (Shipley) Montgomery.

Phil earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Akron (OH) and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.  He was a math professor at the University of Kansas from 1964 until his retirement in 2003. During that tenure, he participated in an exchange program (1964-1967) with Universidád de Oriente (Venezuela) and oversaw the Junior Year Abroad students (1977) at Universidad de Costa Rica.

In addition to teaching, Phil was one of the founding members of the Mad Dogs& Englishmen, a group of noontime runners at KU.  Phil remained active in local and university track events, and was recognized for his work at the Kansas Relays.  He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church since 1964, serving as an Elder and as a member of the church’s bell ringing choir. He also performed numerous other volunteer activities with community organizations over his lifetime.

Phil was confined to a wheelchair during the last 19 years of his life, after surviving cancer.  Despite his condition, he was determined to live as independently as possible.  Several individuals assisted him in this effort.  He wished to recognize the care and devotion of his former wife Nancy Colyer, the late Stan Kern, Melissa McCauley, the staff at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, A Helping Hand home health providers, Visiting Nurses of Douglas County and, in the last days of his life, Grace Hospice.

Phil is survived by his sisters, Margaret Stark and her husband Richard of Amherst, OH and Linda Spiker and her husband Duane of Pittsburgh, PA;his three children, Philip, Jr. of La Grange, IL, Meg Kilday of Livermore, CA, andCindy Sullivan and her husband Paul of Maynard, MA; two stepdaughters, Melissa McCauley of Lawrence, KS and Catherine Colyer of Columbia, MO; twelve grandchildren;and numerous nieces and nephews.He was preceded in death by his parents, his former wife Margaret (Mei Mei) Montgomery, and his brother Robert Montgomery.

A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Lawrence, 2415 W Clinton Parkway, on Saturday, July 20, 2013, at 4:00 p.m.