145254

Fan of the Military

Montgomery McCullough Hord was full of jokes. He liked to carry a wallet full of $2 bills to watch cashiers get confused. "They would always fumble around for some place to put them," said a longtime friend, Tom Cabela. "He was always full of hijinks."

"Before we were married, he used to say of $2 bills, `Chicks dig them,' " said his wife, Lisa. "The other reason he liked them was that the bills were always new."

Mr. Hord, 46, of Pelham, N.Y., was a partner and vice president for institutional equities at Cantor Fitzgerald. He and his wife had three children: an 8-year-old daughter, Molly, and 7-year-old twins, Sophie and Jack.

Though he never enlisted, he was a huge fan of the military. He used to call his father-in-law, Fred Sharp, every Veterans Day and Memorial Day to thank him for serving in the Air Force during World War II. The weekend before Sept. 11, he bought a book about World War II aviators for him, Mrs. Hord said. Inside he wrote: "Fred, though it may not be your exact story, I'm betting it's close. Your contribution will not be lost on our family. Love, Monte."

Mr. Hord asked his wife to mail the book to her father on Sept. 10. But she forgot. She ended up giving it to her father in person on Sept. 13, when the family came together.

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on April 14, 2002.