Barbara Jane Montgomery

Died

MONTGOMERY, Barbara Jane 1/27/1936 - 12/10/2019 Barbara Jane Montgomery, 83, passed away on Tuesday, December 10, after a brief but intense battle with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) while in hospice care, at her home in Fairview, TX. She leaves behind her husband of 61 years, Gerald; their daughters Kris Montgomery, Dr. Karyn Montgomery Boss, and Kelly Montgomery; and grandchildren Christine, Nick, Kyra and Alyssa. Barbara was born to Helen and Herbert Fricke on January 27, 1936, in Allentown, PA. Her life's pursuit centered around helping others, and it began with becoming a Registered Nurse through Allentown Hospital in 1956. She soon moved to Boston MA to further her career as an OB/GYN nurse and that's where she met the love of her life, Gerry. They had their first date on Memorial Day and, after a whirlwind courtship, got married less than 2 months later, on July 20, 1958. For most of their first 30 years of marriage Barbara and Gerry lived in Bergen County, N.J. During this time Barbara was very active in organizations like the PTA, Girl Scouts, and the Women's Club. At the First Presbyterian Church of Hackensack she was a Deacon, Elder and Sunday School teacher. One of her notable accomplishments was the initiation of an annual Ragamuffin Parade at Halloween, a tradition that continues to this day. While their girls were little, Barbara taught pre-school for special-needs children. She later got her recertification in OB/Gyn, and worked with Metropolitan Medical Assoc. in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. In 1988, Barbara and Gerry relocated to North Texas, and it didn't take long before she fully embraced her new environment. Barbara continued her nursing career working in prenatal care for women with high-risk pregnancies. Barbara and Gerry soon joined Lovers Lane United Methodist Church and for over 30 years were involved in a wide range of outreach programs benefitting the community for which they were both honored with the prestigious Heritage Award in 2002. Barbara specifically was recognized for being a member of the Sanctuary Choir and the Chancel Guild; helping in such Outreach programs as Stewpot, Habitat for Humanity, Sew N' Sew, Bryan's House and two Mission Trips to Honduras. As part of her devotion to the church, she continued to participate in numerous programs such as the Good News Sunday School, Everybody's Christmas and Feed My Starving Children. She has also participated in a Lovers Lane UMC program to provide financial support for young ladies in Kenya to attend high school and this passion resulted in a special bond with two students that touched her heart, Mercy and Kellen. While in the Sanctuary Choir, she sang with the group on several international trips including Israel where they sang in Bethlehem Square on Christmas Eve, 1994. Barbara was also one of the originators of the Night Lights program now known as Rays of Light benefitting special needs children and their families. Barbara also had a passion for craftsfrom sewing Easter outfits for her daughters when they were little, to creating intricate counted cross-stitch Christmas stockings for family members and many friends. Another of her many passions was international travel with her beloved husband Gerry. Together they were able to travel to more than 100 countries. She is remembered by her friends and family for her positive can-do spirit and contagious laughter. In addition to her husband, daughters, and grandchildren, she is survived by sister Cindy (Mike) Witkowski, brothers-in-law Dr. Warren Montgomery and wife Shirley and Dennis Montgomery and wife April; son-in-law Dr. David Boss, daughter-in-law Mindy Walwer. Barbara requested to be cremated and her cremains will be interred in Shepherd's Garden at LLUMC. A Memorial to celebrate Barbara's life will be held December 28, 2019 at 10 am at LLUMC located at the corner of Northwest Highway and Inwood Lane, Dallas, Texas. Donations in her memory may be made to Smiletrain, a nonprofit organization and charity providing corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates. Condolences and remembrances may be posted online at Legacy.com.

Source: Dallas Morning News

Published on: 22-12-2019