Kenneth Hardison Montgomery

Kenneth Hardison Montgomery, 75, passed away on August 22, 2025, at the Warner Community Hospice on Amelia Island, Florida after a long illness.
Ken was born on July 30, 1950, in Columbia, Tennessee to the late Bruce and Dorothy Montgomery (Finley). He grew up in Knoxville, eventually enrolling in the University of Tennessee. He graduated in1972 with a degree in Accounting.
Shortly after graduation, Ken joined IBM as a sales representative. It was at this job he met the love of his life, Kathy Haskett. They were married in November of 1973, less than 6 months after meeting.
During his time with IBM, Ken welcomed two daughters, Sara Montgomery of Randolph, NJ, and Katherine Montgomery of Jersey City, New Jersey.
While at IBM, he was selected to attend the Sloan School of Business at Stanford for an Executive MBA. Soon after graduating from Stanford, he joined Chemical Bank (now Chase Bank) as the Head of the Financial Services Division in New York City. Ken continued his climb of the corporate ladder, with positions at Putnam Investments, Cigna Insurance, and others, culminating in being the President of Prudential Financial Retirement Services.
Ken was an avid golfer and a lover of boats. There was rarely a weekend when Ken was not either on the golf course or on his boat on the Hudson River.
Ken was a long-time member of Ridgewood Country Club (Paramus, NJ) and Amelia Island Club (Amelia Island, Florida)
Ken was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, Barry Montgomery. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his daughters Sara and Katie, his daughter in Law Beth Montgomery (Jersey City, NJ), his two grandchildren, Conor and Brian Guinn-Bailey (Randolph, NJ) and his brother Robert Montgomery (Rosewell, GA)
A celebration of life will be held on October 4, 2025, at The Oaks on Amelia Island Plantation, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Warner Community Hospice of Fernandina Beach