Ethel M. Montgomery

Ethel C. Montgomery…Connie, Ms. Connie, … passed away on Sunday morning, March 16th, 2025 at the age of 93 in Goodyear, AZ. Born in Morristown, New Jersey, July of 1931, she was the fourth of 5 daughters, born to Aletha and Arnold Mounter, of Madison NJ.

Married to WIlliam O. Montgomery (deceased), she leaves two children Lisa of Goodyear, AZ, Byron of New York. She was predeceased by two sisters, Clareen of Madison, NJ and Carmen of Barbados, and leaves behind two remaining sisters, Muriel of Goodyear, AZ, and Catherine of Atlanta, GA, as well as a host of nieces, nephews and friends throughout the United States and globally including England, the Netherlands, Canada, Nova Scotia, and Barbados.

Ethel C. Montgomery, known to most as “Connie”, graduated from Morristown High School in 1949 and attended College of St. Elizabeth’s, majoring in Business Administration. She worked at the Morristown Neighborhood House for 13 years, joined Bell Laboratories in 1968 and continued her career as a manager at AT&T.

Connie was an integral part of the fabric of life in Morristown and throughout the state of New Jersey. Connie’s accomplishments are many as she had led an active life working for a more inclusive and integrated Morristown, especially for the young people.She had the first integrated Girl Scout Troop in Morris County in 1952; she was instrumental in organizing the parents in the 2nd Ward whose children attended Lafayette School to work for a more inclusive School system - in 1957 she was elected President of the Lafayette P.T.A., even though she had no school age children of her own. One of the original founders of Carettes, a community organization founded in 1959 provided scholarships and social activities for African American High School Juniors - she has held every position in the club.

As her social activism grew, Connie turned her attention even more outward. In 1966, she made the decision to run for the Morristown School District Board of Education. She was the first African American elected to the board; serving as Vice President in 1968 and President in 1972. During the merger of the schools of Morristown, and Township, she was appointed to the interim Morris School District Board and once formalized, served as Vice President. Her dedication and passion did not go unrecognized. In 1975 she was appointed by Governor Byrne as a member of the New Jersey State Board of Education and served until 1981. In 1982 she was elected Council Woman at Large and served on the Morristown Council until 1990. During her tenure, she held the offices of President and Vice-President. IIn 1989, she also ran for mayor of Morristown, losing by only 195 votes.

Once again, Connie turned her attention back to the youth of Morristown. Her children are grown and gone but “Ms. Connie” was concerned about those boys and girls having a positive outlet. She started the Lafayette 4-H club in 1997, serving youth between 6 and 14 years of age. The club began with 21 and grew to over 72 within 2 years! She was also involved with the Neighborhood Preservation which rehabilitated older homes and placed them on the market as affordable housing, was secretary of her Neighborhood Watch Group, and editor of the “Voice”, a newsletter published by the Concerned Citizens of the 2nd Ward, which focused on keeping African American citizens informed of critical issues that impacted the quality of life in the community.

Connie attended St. Peter’s Church in Morristown, NJ, where she had been a member for over 50 years. She served on the vestry, including roles as Senior and Junior Warden; in addition to being on various committees and singing in the choir.

Connie has been in the Morris County Urban League, Morris County Fair Housing Council, The NAACP, The League of Women’s Voters, and numerous other organizations in the town and county. She has received many awards and accolades throughout her long life of service to her community, town, and state.

After 78 years in NJ, Connie moved to Goodyear, Arizona where she continued her altruistic endeavors in her new community. She initiated a MLK program which still continues each year, worked as a tutor in the school district, and worked with her church, coincidentally bearing the same name - St. Peter’s. She found joy and friendship through many affiliations especially with Sisters of the Valley, an Arizona Social Club serving women of African descent, and the Just Folks community at Pebble Creek in Goodyear.

Hers is a life which we don’t mourn, but CELEBRATE - the dynamic, selfless woman who gave 93 years to helping others. .She will be missed, but always remembered. She was a force and a champion of equality, righting wrongs and an inspiration to all. Connie always said that “She is doing what God planned for her to do”.

A celebration of life for Connie will be Tuesday, March 25th at 11 am. Services are at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 400 S Old Litchfield Road | Litchfield Park AZ 85340.

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to Spence-Chapin Adoption Agency

https://spence-chapin.org/donate/