Christopher Montgomery "Monty" Hatchett

HATCHETT -- Christopher Montgomery "Monty", 36, was born January 14, 1970, and passed away Friday, November 24, 2006. Monty grew up in Tulsa and attended Jenks High School, where he played varsity soccer and football. He captained several state championship soccer teams throughout his youth, including a Tulsa club team that contended for the national championship. While he loved the game of soccer dearly, one of his other passions was airplanes. Shortly after high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served four years active duty as a Flight Line Mechanic at several California Military Bases and re-enlisted as a Reservist for four more years. During this time, Monty married the love of his life, Melanie Scheer (also of Tulsa) and they had a son, Zachary in 1991, while stationed at Travis AFB. He also played semi-professional soccer in the Northern California area. After serving in the military, Monty again felt the tug of civic obligation and put himself through Gavilan Police Academy in Gilroy, CA. He served proudly as a Patrol Officer for the cities of Los Gatos and Watsonville, CA, for over five years and was honored for his courage under fire and enjoyed his work with K9 units. In 1998, the Hatchett family was blessed with the birth of their second son, Zane, in Santa Cruz, CA. But Monty's heart again, gravitated toward airplanes and he was afforded the opportunity to work for Reno Air (which later merged with American Airlines), where he was a Maintenance Supervisor in San Francisco. Shortly thereafter, Monty and his family moved from California to Keller, TX, where he continued to work for American Airlines, until 2005. In March of 2003, he volunteered to be a part of the CRAFT mission, which helped AA transport troops and equipment into Iraq. The move to Texas afforded Monty the opportunity to rekindle one of his other passions, playing and coaching soccer. There he coached several select youth soccer teams and served as an inspiration to all his players. Opportunity knocked on Monty's door once again, and he accepted a position with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The job took Monty and his family from Texas to California once again, where they embarked on their most recent adventure until his untimely death last Friday afternoon, while scuba diving with his son, Zachary. Monty was an adoring husband and father; he was a beloved son and brother. He loved soccer, airplanes, motorcycles, golf, scuba diving, and camping. But more than anything, he loved life. He loved his family and friends. He is survived by his beloved family that includes his wife of almost 17 years Melanie Scheer Hatchett; his 2 sons Zachary (15) and Zane (8); his parents, Rod and Chris Hatchett of Tulsa; his brother, Derek's family of Brookline, MA; his wife, Melanie's parents, Jim and Christa Scheer of Soquel, CA; his grandmother, Emma Lee Wolfe of Tulsa; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Memorial service will be held at Asbury Methodist Chapel at 1 p.m., Saturday, December 2.
This obituary was originally published in the Tulsa World.