Larry Elam Montgomery
May 8, 1946 – November 13, 2025
Larry Elam Montgomery, 79, slipped from this world on November 13, 2025, leaving behind the soft echo of a life lived with quiet courage. He was born in Bremerton, Washington, a boy shaped by the salt air of the Puget Sound and the wide, gray skies that watched over his youth. Those early years forged in him a steadiness that would carry him through the fiercest storms of his life.
After graduating from East Bremerton High School, Larry answered his country’s call and entered the U.S. Army in 1965. In Vietnam, he faced the fire and fear of war with a bravery he never boasted of, but which others marked with honors—the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Silver Star, among others. He bore his scars the way he bore everything: quietly, and without complaint.
It was in a military hospital in Honolulu, as he recovered from his wounds, that fate placed before him the great love of his life. Rita walked into his world when he needed light the most, and together they built 57 years of marriage that stood as testimony to devotion, endurance, and the unspoken tenderness that lives between two souls who choose each other every day.
Larry was a steadfast believer in God and in His son, Jesus Christ. His faith was not loud or showy; it was a steady river running beneath the surface of his life, shaping his days with hope and purpose, much like the river he chose to spend the remainder of his days on. That same faith led him to the ballfields where he coached his sons and to the quiet officiating roles—referee, umpire, fair witness—where young athletes learned from his calm presence and unwavering fairness.
When the time for work was done, Larry and Rita moved to Newport, Washington, settling along the slow, shimmering bend of the Pend Oreille River. There, grandchildren filled the summers with laughter, and Larry filled the years with the simple ministries of a faithful man—teaching Sunday School, standing in the humble heart of church revivals, offering what wisdom and grace he had to give.
He was predeceased by his parents, Vinita Owens and Clarence Montgomery, and by his sisters, Sandy Albrecht and Mary K. Montgomery. Surviving him are his sister, Lota Diane Hudson, his brother, Michael Montgomery, his beloved wife, Rita, and their three children—Dana Burke, Micah Montgomery, and Aaron Montgomery—each carrying a piece of his quiet strength into the world.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on December 1st at 10:00 a.m. at Harvest Community Fellowship, followed by a military burial at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Cheney, Washington.
Larry’s life was not one of loud triumphs, but of steady ones. He leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, humility, and the enduring truth that some of the greatest heroes are the ones who never ask to be named as such.
May 8, 1946 – November 13, 2025
Larry Elam Montgomery, 79, slipped from this world on November 13, 2025, leaving behind the soft echo of a life lived with quiet courage. He was born in Bremerton, Washington, a boy shaped by the salt air of the Puget Sound and the wide, gray skies that watched over his youth. Those early years forged in him a steadiness that would carry him through the fiercest storms of his life.
After graduating from East Bremerton High School, Larry answered his country’s call and entered the U.S. Army in 1965. In Vietnam, he faced the fire and fear of war with a bravery he never boasted of, but which others marked with honors—the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Silver Star, among others. He bore his scars the way he bore everything: quietly, and without complaint.
It was in a military hospital in Honolulu, as he recovered from his wounds, that fate placed before him the great love of his life. Rita walked into his world when he needed light the most, and together they built 57 years of marriage that stood as testimony to devotion, endurance, and the unspoken tenderness that lives between two souls who choose each other every day.
Larry was a steadfast believer in God and in His son, Jesus Christ. His faith was not loud or showy; it was a steady river running beneath the surface of his life, shaping his days with hope and purpose, much like the river he chose to spend the remainder of his days on. That same faith led him to the ballfields where he coached his sons and to the quiet officiating roles—referee, umpire, fair witness—where young athletes learned from his calm presence and unwavering fairness.
When the time for work was done, Larry and Rita moved to Newport, Washington, settling along the slow, shimmering bend of the Pend Oreille River. There, grandchildren filled the summers with laughter, and Larry filled the years with the simple ministries of a faithful man—teaching Sunday School, standing in the humble heart of church revivals, offering what wisdom and grace he had to give.
He was predeceased by his parents, Vinita Owens and Clarence Montgomery, and by his sisters, Sandy Albrecht and Mary K. Montgomery. Surviving him are his sister, Lota Diane Hudson, his brother, Michael Montgomery, his beloved wife, Rita, and their three children—Dana Burke, Micah Montgomery, and Aaron Montgomery—each carrying a piece of his quiet strength into the world.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on December 1st at 10:00 a.m. at Harvest Community Fellowship, followed by a military burial at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Cheney, Washington.
Larry’s life was not one of loud triumphs, but of steady ones. He leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, humility, and the enduring truth that some of the greatest heroes are the ones who never ask to be named as such.
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