Nancy Newell Montgomery
March 19, 1934 ~ March 31, 2016
Nancy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Wade and Virginia Newell on March 19, 1934 and spent her early years through college in Uniontown, PA. By third grade, she had developed a "can do" attitude, and this strength served her well throughout her life.
In junior high, she met her life partner, Bob Montgomery, at a square dance, with the first date shortly after. She was very proud of being drum majorette in elementary school and Tri-State forensics champion in high school. In 1952, she matriculated at Duke University, in Durham, NC, graduating in 1956. While at Duke, she worked on the school newspaper, was active in many clubs, was freshman adviser and was president of her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. She described her years at Duke as "the best four years of my life." She stayed in touch with and traveled often with those great college friends.
In 1956, she began teaching second grade in Arlington, VA and she loved her students dearly. "Teaching was what I did best," she often said. She was in Arlington so that she could be near Bob who was in medical school, and they married in 1957.
When Bob finished his surgical residency, they moved to Orleáns, France and later to Nurnberg, Germany while Bob served in the U.S. Army. Three idyllic years were spent traveling through Europe. Upon returning to the states, the family with their three little boys, settled in Boise where Bob established his surgical practice. In Idaho, Nancy taught at Wesleyan Kindergarten at Cathedral of the Rockies and English for new immigrants at BSU. She then opened William Ernest Brown, a stationery store in Boise.
Throughout her life, she was active in community service and charity fund raising. At Saint Alphonsus she served for many years as a volunteer and was chair of the Festival of Trees and was honored as a distinguished citizen with Bob. She also served on the boards of the Saint Alphonsus Foundation and the Humphrey's Diabetes Foundation.
First and foremost, Nancy took her greatest pride in being a mother to her young boys who she loved with all her heart. She adored her four grandchildren, Abby, Grace, Landon and Addison. Nancy enjoyed family vacations, many spent at McCall at the home of Quentin and Jane Mack, where the family learned to water ski, and jumping the snakes while picking huckleberries. Summers at Stanley and Ketchum, Idaho meant hiking Baldy, backpacking in the Sawtooths and watching the salmon spawn in Valley Creek. Winters were spent on long cross country ski trips in sunshine and moonlight.
Surviving her are her husband, Bob; sons, Bruce and Judd; daughters-in-law, Patty and Raquel; and grandchildren, Grace, Abby, Addison and Landon. She was preceded in death by her son, Todd. "Losing a child is a lifelong sorrow, one cannot imagine."
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 am, Friday, April 8, 2016 at Cathedral of the Rockies, 717 N 11th St, Boise, Idaho 83702.
In lieu of flowers please donate to Idaho Democratic party, PO Box 445, Boise, ID 83701, the Saint Alphonsus Foundation, 1055 N. Curtis Rd, Boise, 83706, or your favorite charity.
Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on Nancy's memorial webpage at www.summersfuneral.com.