Joseph Eugene Montgomery

Joseph Eugene Montgomery of Mount Shasta, passed away on February 25, 2024, at the age of 82. Joe was born on June 10, 1941, to Mary Cyrilla and Edgar Montgomery between Possum Trot and Chicken Gizzard Ridge in Clementsville, Kentucky. In 1956 his family moved from Kentucky to Buena Park, California where he finished high school and proceeded to study sociology at Cal State Fullerton before obtaining his teaching credential at Long Beach State. Although Joe left Kentucky at age 15, his love for Kentucky remained.

He met his wife, Anne (Kennelly) while attending college and they had their first date in February of 1961. They married November 23, 1963, and went on to have three daughters, Laura, Kathryn, and Karen. Joe’s love of hunting and fishing led him to accept his first teaching job at Mount Shasta High School in 1968. He moved from southern California with his wife and two young daughters, Laura, and Kathy, to Mount Shasta where his youngest daughter Karen was born. Joe taught at Mount Shast High School for 31 years, retiring in 1999. He also owned and operated the Mount Shasta Laundromat and Carwash from 1984 to 2015.

Joe loved to hunt & fish and everything that went along with it. He enjoyed reading about it, talking about it, scouting for deer, training dogs, tying flies, visiting Phil’s Prop Shop, and sharing his many stories (some of which were actually true.) Joe enjoyed time in the great outdoors and highly recommend stopping to sit on a stump. He was a huge University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan which was apparent by the clothes he chose to wear. He was predeceased by his parents, brothers Jimmy & Dave, and sister Frances. He is survived by his wife, Anne; daughters, Laura Russ (Jason), Kathy Hansen (Danny), Karen Montgomery (Arthur Feidler); granddaughters, Taylor Dowling (Smokey), Tori Hansen, Hannah Russ, Ellie Russ; and great-grandchildren, Henry, Eloise, and William Dowling.

Joe loved to laugh, especially at himself, and as one of his friends shared, “He was a man who did everything he wanted to do and did everything for everybody else.” No services are planned at this time. A celebration of his life may be held at a later date.