Raymond "Ray" C. Montgomery

Raymond “Ray” Clifton Montgomery, 88, passed away on October 4, 2026. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, on February 1, 1938, to Ruth Croft Montgomery, Ray lived a full life devoted to his family, his faith, and a lifelong love of learning.

Ray met the love of his life, Eugenia Miller, on a Greyhound bus while they were traveling to the University of Alabama, where they both attended college. That chance meeting led to 63 years of marriage. Ray loved having Eugenia by his side, and together they built a wonderful life centered on family, faith, and good food.

An engineer in both profession and spirit, Ray earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Alabama and his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech. He had a long career at NASA’s Langley Research Center, where he contributed to the Space Shuttle program and received several awards for his work. He maintained his professional engineering license throughout his life and also served as an adjunct professor at Virginia Tech and Old Dominion University while working at NASA.

Ray proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1957 to 1960, including service in Korea.

Ray loved learning new things, something that may have started when, as a child, he took apart the family television just to see how it worked. That curiosity stayed with him throughout his life. He learned to play the piano and guitar and was always willing to try something new, from gardening to making his own wine. He earned his pilot’s license and enjoyed flying airplanes and gliders. Later in life, he joined a barbershop quartet, a pastime he loved.

Ray also loved being in the kitchen and was a wonderful cook. He especially enjoyed baking sourdough bread and making waffles for family and friends, who joked that he should have his own cooking show, “Cooking on the Bay with Sourdough Ray.” Among his signature dishes were shrimp and scallops and chocolate soufflé.

Time with family and friends was especially important to Ray. He loved annual beach trips with friends and Christmases surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He never wanted to miss a family event. Even as getting around became more difficult, he was determined to attend his grandchildren’s graduations and make the trip to the Outer Banks for family Christmas.

Ray was a member of St. Mark’s Methodist Church for more than 58 years and loved singing in the choir, something he continued to do even in the last few months of his life. In his earlier years at St. Mark’s, he also played guitar for the youth group. One of his favorite pieces to sing with the choir was the “Hallelujah Chorus.”

Ray was a loyal and supportive father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who made sure his family was always cared for. He was immensely proud of his family and loved being part of their lives.

Ray is survived by his wife of 63 years, Eugenia Miller Montgomery; his children, Laura Ruth Montgomery; Susan Montgomery Jenkins and her husband, David Jenkins; and Michael Lee Montgomery and his wife Sarah Caroline Montgomery.

He is also survived by his grandchildren, Benjamin Andrew Jenkins; Elizabeth Jenkins Andress and her husband, Nathan Andress; Ella Vivienne Montgomery; Anneliese Camille Montgomery; and Ewan Miller Montgomery; as well as his great-grandchildren, Clay and Casey Andress.

A celebration of Ray’s life will be held Saturday, October 10, at 3:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 99 E. Mercury Boulevard, Hampton, Virginia.

Ray will be laid to rest at Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk, Virginia, at a later date.