Jack Montgomery

family of William John "Jack" Montgomery announces his passing on

January 13, 2011 after a short but courageous battle with cancer. Jack

was born on December 16, 1934 in Nipawin, Sask. While working in

Nipawin, he met Jean Meyer, whom he later married in 1967. The

marriage was blessed with twin daughters, Sharon & Karen. Jack worked

in the grain industry for Northern Sales in Winnipeg for over 30 years

and retired in 1999. Jack was predeceased by his wife Jean and brother

Allister. He is survived by his daughter Karen, grandson Tyrese ,

daughter Sharon, son-in-law Derek and sister Ruth.

Jack led a simple, unassuming life. He had a quick wit and easy smile

and was a charming man who loved to make people laugh. He was healthy

and strong until the end and never missed a day of work. He was a

devoted husband, father, grandfather and loyal friend to many and so

he will be sorely missed by many. While in hospital, Jack remarked

that he didn't know he had so many friends. A lifetime of treating

others with generosity, care and love was returned in kind in his time

of need.

Jack, you will always hold an important place in our lives. Though you

have left our sight, our hearing and touch, you remain in our memories

and hearts. You live on through the love you shared with us and that

we continue to share with others.

In keeping with Jack's wishes, a private family service will be held.

The family wishes to thank the many people who made Jack's last weeks as comfortable as possible and who's support & compassionate care eased his and our burden including: Dr A H Khan, the Victoria & Riverview hospital nurses and staff and many family and friends - we are deeply grateful for your actions, empathy, thoughts and prayers.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cancer Care Manitoba.

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Message from Reverend Don McIntyre

What a roller coaster of emotions you have been riding since November. Suddenly every moment becomes holy as you cherish the remaining time and attempt to do everything in your power to make Jack comfortable. Today, we gather in the wake of the latest snow storm that has just moved through. As we have attempted to bravely weather it today we gather to be warmed by those memories that “will always hold an important place in our lives.”

Like storms that erupt out of nowhere cancer epitomizes the chaos that corrupts, consumes and destroys. If there is one constant that remains it will be Jack’s character that continues to live. For example, I felt your hospitality from the moment I was welcomed to prepare for this service. There were wonderful smiles where it appeared to me Jack’s habit of treating others ‘with generosity, care and love’ was being lived out in the welcoming love you were sharing with me. This may seem to be of little comfort today but in time it ‘will always hold an importance place in your lives.’ If there is a lasting picture that remains in our minds it should be his easy going smile, a reminder that even as he understood life at times is difficult when you have depth of character you find a way to appreciate life and the people in your life.

When you requested a Natalie Cole song to close this worship I was reminded of her father’s classic lines, “Smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it’s breaking, when there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by, if you smile through your fear and sorrow, smile and maybe tomorrow, you’ll see the sun come shining through, for you, if you just smile.” These words reminded me as an eleven year old Jack would have shed tears after losing his father. Somehow he learned to live with his grief. We never should aim to get over our sorrow but allow the void to remind us what we really appreciated. I would think as a child and over time he became even closer to his mother and brother Allister growing up on the home place four miles north of Alysham, near Jack’s birthplace in Nipawin, December 16,1934. In the early fifties Jack worked in Saskatoon before moving to Winnipeg to work in the grain industry for Northern Sales for the next thirty years, retiring in 1999. By this time he and Jean had been married in 1967 in her home town of Lemberg. Their love carried them for the next 29 years until Jeans passing. Then, Jack had memories of a wonderful trips and times together to sustain him.

In Winnipeg Jack became a supervisor of the Northern Sales Ltd. plant, responsible for the bagging and distribution of seed across the prairies. Always a hard worker he was very responsible. You recalled how often it seemed the alarm system at work would go off. He would have to dress at 3 and 4 in the morning to check it out. With the birth of twin daughters, Sharon and Karen recall the plant was your playground where you could walk the tracks and to your mother’s horror, sun tan on the roof of the building. On these grounds your father taught you to drive. Karen recalled a wonderful summer where she was able to travel the province with her father to check out inventory. Armed with a clipboard you looked after the records and not only earned a good salary but dined on hamburgers with your father.

As a child there were many fond memories of visiting family in Grand Forks, staying at hotels where there were pinball and Pac man games to compete with your Dad. Jack’s skill as a pool player probably had roots in the local pool room of his hometown. He loved driving in the country and especially returning to his home province to play pool with his brother and old friends and see how much cheating he might get away with. More recently, the pool table in the Tavern United in Grand Forks also got a good workout as he showed you he hadn’t lost his touch.

Cole’s second verse, “Light up your face with gladness, Hide every trace of sadness, although a tear may be ever so near that’s the time you must keep on trying, smile, what’s the use of crying? You’ll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile.”

We talked about how important Christmas was for him and his family. As Christmas approached this year he asked what day it would fall on. You have fond memories of your mother wrapping your presents to keep away your prying eyes but your father turning a blind eye to his twins stealthily taking an exacto knife and tape and rewrapping them after stealing a peak. Your father also collected memorabilia to keep the Christmas spirit alive in his mind and heart long after the date had past. He may have led a simple unassuming life but with a quick wit and easy smile and with charm and an ability to make people laugh Jack‘s life was full. Charles Reade wrote, “Beauty if power; a smile it’s sword.”

Never one to throw anything away that might be repaired and intent on conserving electricity so that the lights of the bathroom in his hospital room became a concern his frugality would bring a smile to your faces. This frugality was balanced with generosity or as you wrote, ‘A lifetime of treating others with generosity, care and love was returned in kind in his time of need.‘ It might have been sharing the token toilet paper in a buy one get one free sale or the coke he had purchased or spoiling his grandson rotten or lugging cases of pic a pop all the way to northern Saskatchewan but Jack enjoyed creating smiles. Another writer wrote, “A smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. But just think what good smiling can bring to the most important muscle of the body…the heart.”

After retiring Jack couldn’t remain idle. He would don a construction helmet and oversee a construction site, getting to know the workers, pretending to be a foreman in soaking up the atmosphere. There were Fridays with coffee buddies from the workplace on Chevrier. There were junk food runs to the 7-11 to get ready for family visits. He loved to tease, stealing your chocolate bars to feed his sweet tooth and announcing at his departure ‘any food to take home. ‘While in hospital there were good reasons to bring milkshakes and ice-cream drumsticks and sweets for they brought a smile to his face.

Yes, the last weeks have been a real test of courage, but no reason to not try to illicit a smile. I would think there would be plenty of sleepless nights when you didn’t feel like smiling but as Martin Charnin espoused, “You’re never dressed without a smile.”

Nat King Cole’s song ends, “That’s the time you must keep on trying, smile, what’s the use of crying? You’ll find that life is still worthwhile if you, if you just smile.” Returning home to write this message I was ever more encouraged to focus on the theme of smiling as I read these tributes on the Dignity Guest Book. Ashmead Khan wrote, ‘His love of family knew no bounds. We are truly blessed and lucky to have him in our lives and the memories he gave us, the beautiful smile he always had to share, as he‘s doing right now. ‘Kim Brogden of Regina wrote, ‘I can‘t help but smile when I think of Jack. ‘Richard Akong wrote, ‘The picture of Jack that is shown is exactly the man that I knew and respected. He always seemed to have a smile on his face and was full of humour. His kind, caring nature and generosity will be missed but will forever live in our memories. ‘ Amy and Rosie Gupta wrote a simple but eloquent statement reflecting what so many neighbours will be feeling, ‘We will miss your contagious smile.‘ Chuck Halikas concluded, ‘Jack was a great man and we enjoyed every second of his company. ‘

I invite you to focus on these words from Phil and Betty Haese, ‘When Jack turned the corner, it was a nice feeling seeing him. ‘I invite you to picture him as he was when visiting Karen in Trinidad so happy to be with family, a drink in his hand, a smile on his face. Yes, life is not always fair but we find comfort as we dare in the midst of our sorrow recall the good times. Love gives us the strength to hope for the impossible.

Character is shaped by times of trial. May you discover within you his spirit as it lives with you eternally in memories of an indelible smile that is now yours in body and in mind.