Harry L. known as "Harry Monti" Monteith

Harry L. Monteith, known worldwide as ‘Harry Monti’, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 26, 2026, at the age of 90.  A lifelong resident of St. Louis, Missouri, he was surrounded by love in his final days, with his devoted wife of 54 years, Trudy Thomas Monteith, by his side.  Trudy visited him daily at his assisted living home and spent the last three continuous days with him before his passing.Born on August 17, 1935, to James K Monteith and Marion Nicks Monteith, Harry was a multifaceted talent whose extraordinary life spanned athletics, performance, and magic.  A 1954 graduate of Soldan-Blewett High School, his exceptional gymnastic skills helped lead his team to both the City Championship and the Ozark Athletic Union Championship.  He later attended Washington University, studying Engineering and Mechanical Drawing.Harry's athletic prowess extended to speed skating, where he began competing in Junior Boys events in 1949.  He secured team championships in 1950 and dominated Senior Men’s City and State competitions from 1954 to 1960, crowning his achievements with a Silver Skates victory in 1960.  Harry was also a champion snow skier winning the Flatlanders’ Slalom competition in Aspen, Colorado in 1967.A lifelong circus enthusiast, Harry befriended renowned trapeze artists and frequently joined them in the air during their St. Louis visits.  Remarkably, he performed on a trapeze for the last time at age 70 at a Cirque du Soleil training facility in Hollywood, California.Harry's true passion, however, was magic.  His journey began as a child with a simple trick from a comic book - floating a needle on water - and he was forever enchanted.  While skilled in stage magic and escapes, close-up magic became his greatest love.  He first performed at the Hollywood Magic Castle in 1963 and held the remarkable record of performing there continuously for 53 years, appearing in every showroom and earning a place on its Wall of Fame with his caricature.  He also performed and lectured internationally in Europe and China.Among his many honors, Harry was awarded Membership in the Inner Magic Circle of London with Gold Star in 1999 (a distinction limited to 300 elite performers worldwide).  He was a regular at the exclusive, invitation-only 4F convention, receiving its Ph.D. in magic in 2008.In the 1970s, Harry co-founded Rings-N-Things, producing premium metal magic props.  Items from the original era - such as the Monti Cups - and later his Himber Wallets, and his Close-Up case - remain highly collectible among magicians today.Harry joined the International Brotherhood of Magicians in 1952 and the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) in 1957.  He served as president of both local organizations, longtime Chaplain of the St. Louis S.A.M., and received the Gold Medal from S.A.M. Assembly No. 8 in 1997 and the St. Louis Magic Heritage Award in 1998.  In 1999, he was elected National President of the Society of American Magicians.Together with Trudy, Harry co-founded Magic for Special Education, empowering teachers to share magic with students with special needs, and helped establish the first S.A.M. Assembly made up entirely of magicians with special needs.  They also created the Harry and Trudy College Scholarship Fund, which has awarded scholarships to 12 promising young magicians.Harry served in the U.S. Air National Guard Reserves from 1953 to 1962 and was activated during the Berlin Crisis (1961-1962).  He and Trudy married on November 20, 1971, at Trinity Presbyterian Church in University City, Missouri.  Harry was ordained a deacon there on January 26, 1997.  They were longtime members of Bonhomme Presbyterian Church in Chesterfield, Missouri.Harry is survived by his beloved wife, Trudy, along with nieces, nephews, and countless admirers in the magic community and beyond.  A consummate gentleman, he was deeply loved and respected by all who knew him and will be profoundly missed.

Services: Visitation will be held at Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, 14820 Conway Road, Chesterfield, Missouri, on Friday, February 6, 2026, begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a Broken Wand Ceremony at 10:45 a.m. and the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Valhalla Cemetery in Normandy, Missouri.

As a service of SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.