William T. S. Montgomery, Jr. peacefully left behind his beloved family and lifelong home of Jacksonville on June 9, 2019, to be in God’s heavenly kingdom. Bill, also known as “Monty”, “Willie”, and “The world’s greatest fisherman”, was born October 17th, 1934 to WTS Montgomery, Sr. and Irene Colyer Montgomery. He was the apple of his father’s eye. Bill grew up on the Ortega River where he acquired a lifelong passion for fishing, hunting, boating, and embracing everything the Florida great outdoors had to offer. He also learned the value of friendship and surrounded himself with an incredible circle of close friends, to whom he bent over backwards to demonstrate his immense loyalty. After graduating from The Bolles School in 1952, Bill attended Auburn University School of Engineering until he joined his father to help run and grow the family business. At Montgomery Industries, Bill had a humble start eventually growing into the role of President and Chairman of the Board, a position he held for the rest of his career.
Bill was a natural “inventor” and thrived on perfecting everything he touched, including the design and functionality of the well-known “Montgomery Blow Hog”, as well as other industrial machines the company designed, manufactured, and sold all over the world. His most valuable contributions were his innate business acumen and management style, and the many meaningful relationships he developed over the years. Always the inventor, Bill designed and built an air-boat, which propelled him through the Indian River for duck hunting treks, as well as a “flats” boat for fishing in Florida Bay. He became enamored with fly fishing in Islamorada and soon became a regular participant in the The World Invitational Bonefish Fly Championship and The World Invitational Tarpon Fly Championship tournaments, serving as chairman of the Bonefish tournament in 1978. He is listed as one of the “Pioneers and Legends” of sports fishing in Islamorada.
Bill also had a love for aviation, and it served him well. He soloed as an adolescent, and flew himself all over the country in his “Commander” pursuing business opportunities, and made annual fishing and diving trips to Bimini and “Charlie’s Haven” in Andros with his lifelong dearest friends- “Duck”(Barney Daley), “Lefty”(Dr. Stan Green), “the Swede”(Ken Atkins), “Rags”(Bill Ragsdale), “Squirrel”(Bobby Read), and Dr. Ted Robinson. Albert Colley (“Teeny”) was another dear lifelong friend. One always knew if you were endeared to Bill when he stopped calling you by name, but rather by the nickname he gave you.
In 1970, Bill and a handful of friends, recognized the need for a church-based neighborhood school. Within the year this tenacious group of men spearheaded and established St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, where Bill served as the first Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Although Bill had many passions in life, his greatest passion was the “love of his life” and wife of 62 years, Hazel Jackson Montgomery, and the family they raised. Bill leaves behind the children he so proudly adored: his “sugars”, Virginia M. Vorsanger (Bruce), Patten M. Moore (Henry), Marianne M. Hofheimer (Andy) all of Jacksonville, and Alison M. Bartz (John) of Alpharetta, Georgia, and a son, WTS Montgomery,III, also of Jacksonville; his 11 grandchildren: Sarah Colyer Friedman, Mary Sheldon Boney, Virginia Boney, and Frances Boney, Andrew Hofheimer(Kirsten) and Alison Hofheimer Sausaman(Kent), John Bartz (Cynthia), David Bartz (Tracey), and Michael Bartz, WTS Montgomery,IV and Jackson Montgomery; and his 4 great-grandchildren, James and Millie Hofheimer, Hazel Sausaman, and Jackson Bartz.
A Memorial Service honoring a life truly lived and enjoyed to the fullest will be held at Ortega United Methodist Church on Saturday, June 22nd at 9:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Bill to St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School or Ortega United Methodist Church.
Please Sign the guestbook at www.hardagegiddensoaklawnchapel.com
HARDAGE-GIDDENS, THE OAKLAWN CHAPEL, 4801 San Jose Blvd is serving the family
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