Gregory Arthur Montgomery was born in Lewiston April 9, 1948, to Wilbur (Monk) and Joyce Walters Montgomery. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and closest friends at his home in Spokane Thursday, June 16, 2011, after a short battle with liver cancer.
Greg's childhood was spent in Orofino and he attended Orofino schools all 12 years, where he excelled in baseball, football and basketball. Sports were always a big part of his life. Hunting, fishing, skiing, the Zags, the old Sonics, the Seahawks, the Maniacs, and of course his beloved Yankees were all held dear.
Following graduation in 1966, he married Cathy Steiner in Orofino and they soon welcomed a beautiful daughter, Lana. During this time, the family resided at the Jaype hunting cabin and Greg worked in the woods and at the Jaype mill, rising quickly to the position of purchasing agent.
By this time Vietnam had escalated into a war and though many were starting to question this country's involvement, Greg, with his marriage ending, saw it as an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream, which was solidified by the John Wayne movie, "The Green Berets." After "the summer of '69" he bid farewell to his friends and family and headed for the war - as a Green Beret, of course, serving honorably as sergeant in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Upon completion of his military service, he went to work for the Asotin County sheriff's office while attending Lewis-Clark State College. He worked for a time for Northern Pacific Railroad and eventually settled down in Spokane, where he was employed on the construction of the World's Fair Pavilion. He later became part owner in an equipment manufacturing company. In the '80s, struck by gold fever, Greg was off to the Salmon River to form a gold mining company, which eventually became an excavation-equipment rental business. He finished out his employment with MFA Inc.; after working there for his close friend Terry Farrell for seven years, he retired in April.
To refer to Gregory Montgomery as a good man, a good son, or good father, brother, or friend still seems greatly understated to all who knew him. Whether he was quarterback, point guard, clean-up batter, one-O on a secret mission over North Vietnam, or taking care of his business, his friends or family matters, Greg, known to many as Red, was always a leader, a powerhouse, a charmer. Bigger than life, he left it as courageously as he lived it and along the way taught us that it's OK to live life to its fullest and, despite a few setbacks, just be willing to responsibly accept the consequences and move on. Anyone who knew him couldn't resist the temptation to be a little bit like him. That has made, and will continue to make, all of our lives better.
Greg's childhood was spent in Orofino and he attended Orofino schools all 12 years, where he excelled in baseball, football and basketball. Sports were always a big part of his life. Hunting, fishing, skiing, the Zags, the old Sonics, the Seahawks, the Maniacs, and of course his beloved Yankees were all held dear.
Following graduation in 1966, he married Cathy Steiner in Orofino and they soon welcomed a beautiful daughter, Lana. During this time, the family resided at the Jaype hunting cabin and Greg worked in the woods and at the Jaype mill, rising quickly to the position of purchasing agent.
By this time Vietnam had escalated into a war and though many were starting to question this country's involvement, Greg, with his marriage ending, saw it as an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream, which was solidified by the John Wayne movie, "The Green Berets." After "the summer of '69" he bid farewell to his friends and family and headed for the war - as a Green Beret, of course, serving honorably as sergeant in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Upon completion of his military service, he went to work for the Asotin County sheriff's office while attending Lewis-Clark State College. He worked for a time for Northern Pacific Railroad and eventually settled down in Spokane, where he was employed on the construction of the World's Fair Pavilion. He later became part owner in an equipment manufacturing company. In the '80s, struck by gold fever, Greg was off to the Salmon River to form a gold mining company, which eventually became an excavation-equipment rental business. He finished out his employment with MFA Inc.; after working there for his close friend Terry Farrell for seven years, he retired in April.
To refer to Gregory Montgomery as a good man, a good son, or good father, brother, or friend still seems greatly understated to all who knew him. Whether he was quarterback, point guard, clean-up batter, one-O on a secret mission over North Vietnam, or taking care of his business, his friends or family matters, Greg, known to many as Red, was always a leader, a powerhouse, a charmer. Bigger than life, he left it as courageously as he lived it and along the way taught us that it's OK to live life to its fullest and, despite a few setbacks, just be willing to responsibly accept the consequences and move on. Anyone who knew him couldn't resist the temptation to be a little bit like him. That has made, and will continue to make, all of our lives better.
Gregory Arthur Montgomery was born in Lewiston April 9, 1948, to Wilbur (Monk) and Joyce Walters Montgomery. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and closest friends at his home in Spokane Thursday, June 16, 2011, after a short battle with liver cancer.
Greg's childhood was spent in Orofino and he attended Orofino schools all 12 years, where he excelled in baseball, football and basketball. Sports were always a big part of his life. Hunting, fishing, skiing, the Zags, the old Sonics, the Seahawks, the Maniacs, and of course his beloved Yankees were all held dear.
Following graduation in 1966, he married Cathy Steiner in Orofino and they soon welcomed a beautiful daughter, Lana. During this time, the family resided at the Jaype hunting cabin and Greg worked in the woods and at the Jaype mill, rising quickly to the position of purchasing agent.
By this time Vietnam had escalated into a war and though many were starting to question this country's involvement, Greg, with his marriage ending, saw it as an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream, which was solidified by the John Wayne movie, "The Green Berets." After "the summer of '69" he bid farewell to his friends and family and headed for the war - as a Green Beret, of course, serving honorably as sergeant in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Upon completion of his military service, he went to work for the Asotin County sheriff's office while attending Lewis-Clark State College. He worked for a time for Northern Pacific Railroad and eventually settled down in Spokane, where he was employed on the construction of the World's Fair Pavilion. He later became part owner in an equipment manufacturing company. In the '80s, struck by gold fever, Greg was off to the Salmon River to form a gold mining company, which eventually became an excavation-equipment rental business. He finished out his employment with MFA Inc.; after working there for his close friend Terry Farrell for seven years, he retired in April.
To refer to Gregory Montgomery as a good man, a good son, or good father, brother, or friend still seems greatly understated to all who knew him. Whether he was quarterback, point guard, clean-up batter, one-O on a secret mission over North Vietnam, or taking care of his business, his friends or family matters, Greg, known to many as Red, was always a leader, a powerhouse, a charmer. Bigger than life, he left it as courageously as he lived it and along the way taught us that it's OK to live life to its fullest and, despite a few setbacks, just be willing to responsibly accept the consequences and move on. Anyone who knew him couldn't resist the temptation to be a little bit like him. That has made, and will continue to make, all of our lives better.
Greg's childhood was spent in Orofino and he attended Orofino schools all 12 years, where he excelled in baseball, football and basketball. Sports were always a big part of his life. Hunting, fishing, skiing, the Zags, the old Sonics, the Seahawks, the Maniacs, and of course his beloved Yankees were all held dear.
Following graduation in 1966, he married Cathy Steiner in Orofino and they soon welcomed a beautiful daughter, Lana. During this time, the family resided at the Jaype hunting cabin and Greg worked in the woods and at the Jaype mill, rising quickly to the position of purchasing agent.
By this time Vietnam had escalated into a war and though many were starting to question this country's involvement, Greg, with his marriage ending, saw it as an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream, which was solidified by the John Wayne movie, "The Green Berets." After "the summer of '69" he bid farewell to his friends and family and headed for the war - as a Green Beret, of course, serving honorably as sergeant in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Upon completion of his military service, he went to work for the Asotin County sheriff's office while attending Lewis-Clark State College. He worked for a time for Northern Pacific Railroad and eventually settled down in Spokane, where he was employed on the construction of the World's Fair Pavilion. He later became part owner in an equipment manufacturing company. In the '80s, struck by gold fever, Greg was off to the Salmon River to form a gold mining company, which eventually became an excavation-equipment rental business. He finished out his employment with MFA Inc.; after working there for his close friend Terry Farrell for seven years, he retired in April.
To refer to Gregory Montgomery as a good man, a good son, or good father, brother, or friend still seems greatly understated to all who knew him. Whether he was quarterback, point guard, clean-up batter, one-O on a secret mission over North Vietnam, or taking care of his business, his friends or family matters, Greg, known to many as Red, was always a leader, a powerhouse, a charmer. Bigger than life, he left it as courageously as he lived it and along the way taught us that it's OK to live life to its fullest and, despite a few setbacks, just be willing to responsibly accept the consequences and move on. Anyone who knew him couldn't resist the temptation to be a little bit like him. That has made, and will continue to make, all of our lives better.
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