Samuel Kent Montgomery

Mr. Montgomery was born August 26, 1949, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, the second child of Helen Moore Johnson and S. Ward Montgomery. He was predeceased by his parents and his maternal grandparents, Viola M. Moore and Frank M. Johnson, and paternal grandparents John and Margaret Montgomery. He is survived by his sister, Susan Montgomery of Atlanta, Georgia.

“Sam,” as he was known in his younger years, attended Uniontown Public Schools, graduating from Uniontown Senior High School with the class of 1967. He was a member of the brass section of the school’s Marching Band and was particularly memorable for playing the tuba at football halftimes and in many parades on the Main Street of Uniontown. Many of his forbearers were talented local musicians, and he followed his father’s example in being involved with community musical groups. His passion for performing and writing music was also fostered by his beloved high school music teacher, Orville S. Conn. Sam performed with the California University of Pennsylvania concert orchestra, where he and his father played string bass. After high school graduation, Sam earned a BA in music education and composition at West Virginia University.

In the years after his graduation from WVU, Sam adopted his middle name, Kent, as his primary first name. He lived in Kentucky, New Mexico, and Utah, and then settled in the Denver metro area. He brought his passion for music and education to Sound Warehouse, Music for All, and Tower Records as the manager of the classical music section. In his work for Tower Records, he was recognized for having the highest sales of classical music products in the Tower’s Southwest Division.

While living in Denver, Kent volunteered with Opera Colorado, then became a valued member of the administrative staff of the National Center for Voice and Speech, an NIH and NSF-supported research and clinical care center based at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and led by world-renowned voice scientists Ingo R. Titze, Executive Director, and Lorraine Ramig, Senior Scientist. His work at the DCPA supported the research and outreach initiatives of the NCVS. Subsequently, the NCVS moved their headquarters to Salt Lake City, where Kent became administrative assistant to the scientific team and spent many days assisting Dr. Titze in preparing research papers and books for publication.

After his retirement from the NCVS, Kent returned to the Denver area. Kent’s love of and passion for music touched many lives. He is remembered for his broad and encyclopedic knowledge of music, recordings, politics, literature, and movies. His great conversation skills, wicked sense of humor, and deep laughter made an indelible impression on those who knew him and worked with him. He was helpful, kind, calming in a stressful situation, and always warm and friendly to those around him.

His life is celebrated and his passing is mourned by his many friends from his hometown in Pennsylvania, in the Salt Lake and Denver areas, and most particularly his dearest friend Suzanne Collins of Centennial, Colorado, and his loving sister, Susan Montgomery in Georgia.