Floyd Woodrow Montgomery

Floyd Woodrow Montgomery 1921-2010 A 30-year veteran of the Air Force who participated in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France during World War II, died Thursday, October 22. The Cutler Bay, FL, resident was 88. Mr. Montgomery was born Nov. 12, 1921 in Bartlesville, OK, to William Earl and Grace (Bretz) Montgomery and was one of nine children. He grew up in Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, and graduated from Webb City High School in Oklahoma in May 1939. He enlisted in the Army Air Corp in May 1941 and was stationed in Portland OR. As a result of wartime correspondence, he met his future wife, Adelyn Peterson of Ft. Calhoun, NE, on Aug. 13, 1942. They married after he returned from overseas service on Nov. 15, 1945. Mr. Montgomery was deployed on Nov. 1, 1942, and fought in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, and Southern France, and was part of the initial landing party in Salerno, Italy. He was discharged Sept. 18, 1945 but remained in the reserves. For the next five years, he worked as a rough neck on a drilling rig for Phillips Petroleum Oil Co., as a welder for Omaha Steel Workers and Kelly Ryan Implement, and farmed 160 acres (Ernest C. Peterson's farm) near Ft Calhoun, NE. He was called back to active duty during the Korean War and sent to Okinawa. Upon the family's return, he was stationed at Pinecastle Air Force Base in Orlando, and then Homestead Air Force Base. In 1965, he was sent to Bien Hoa, Vietnam, for a year's tour of duty. He remained in the Air Force until his retirement. His tours of duty had taken him to French Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, France, Germany, England, Scotland, Iceland, Canada, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam, Philippines, Okinawa, Japan, and Vietnam. Mr. Montgomery retired from the Air Force active duty on July 1, 1967 as a 3-war veteran with the rank of Senior Master Sergeant at Homestead Air Force Base. He then worked as a foreman for CoolAir Air Conditioning Company and Industrial Conveyor Systems. Outside of work, Mr. Montgomery was a dedicated husband and family man, a bird watcher and a genealogist who loved the music of Hank Williams and Bob Wills. He was an active member of St. Thomas by the Sea Lutheran Church of Cutler Bay, Florida. He is survived by his wife Adelyn; daughters Paula Kay Montgomery of Baltimore, MD, Marta Sue (Steve) Villacorta of Ft. Lauderdale, Debra Ann (Mark) Goodrich of Ft. Pierce, and Janet Lee (Richard) Vari of San Diego, CA; grandchildren Lauren Michelle (Carl) Moffi, Rob Hugh Cox Vari, Matthew Thor Vari, and Amanda Marie Vari; sisters Carmeta Carver, Marie (Maurice) Hartsell, and Georgia Cooper; and many nieces and nephews. The family requests that donations be made in Floyd's name to Disabled American Veterans (http://cst.dav.org/). A celebration of Floyd's life will be held at St. Thomas by the Sea Lutheran Church, Cutler Bay, and inturnment at South Florida National Cemetery, Lake Worth, at a future date.