Richard Henry Montague

1929-2026, Fairfield, Connecticut

Richard (Dick) Henry Montague, dedicated husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend, passed away peacefully on the Fourth of July 2026. Pre-deceased by his wife of 59 years, Joan Hoffman Montague, his mother Marguerite Bolser Montague and his father William R. Montague, Dick was born and raised in Dayton Ohio with his sisters Billy Margaret Homan and Wenona Ridgway.

Dick will be greatly missed by his devoted children and spouses: Kimberly Jo Montague of Phoenix, Arizona, Richard Hugh and Peggy Montague of Boca Grande, Florida and Elizabeth Ann and Robert Nabholz of Larchmont, New York. The joys of his life, Dick's ten grandchildren: Harrison, Joanna (McMenamy) and Sam Weinstein, William, Tess (Papazian) and Kathleen (Patriquin) Montague, and James, Henry, Richard and Eleanor Nabholz, and twelve great-grandchildren, will remember Dick for his witty and often sarcastic sense of humor, his paternal wisdom and his love for life. He was a joy to be around for both young and old. Many referred to him as a true gentleman and a handsome one at that.

Dick graduated from the University of Dayton with honors and its ROTC program in May 1951. Upon completion of Officers Candidate School at Fort Benning GA, he was stationed at Indian Town Gap PA where he soon met the love of his life, Joan, a local girl from Palmyra, PA. After a whirlwind romance, Dick and Joan were married on June 28, 1952. As a Lieutenant in the Third Infantry Division, Dick was promptly deployed to Korea in August 1952. As the company platoon leader, Dick was assigned on November 25, 1952 the mission of retaking an important checkpoint in the vicinity of Hak Tong-Ni. The mission was a success but at a cost. That evening the checkpoint was attacked by waves of enemy combatants and his platoon suffered significant casualties. Dick himself was hit five times by Chinese “burp gun” bullets and seriously wounded. One bullet remained in his left wrist throughout his life. Dick was then transported to a Seoul military hospital. He was heavily sedated in December 1952 when then President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower on a secret/classified tour of Korea visited the hospital. Eisenhower stopped at Dick’s bed to review his medical records on a clipboard attached to the bed. Given his sedation Dick was not aware of the visit but was assured by hospital staff that it indeed did happen.

Dick’s time in Korea had a significant impact on his life. He served his country with exceptional courage and valor. In recognition of his service, Dick was awarded a Bronze Star medal for Valor and the Purple Heart. Upon his return from Korea, Dick enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business earning an MBA. After graduating from Wharton in 1954, Dick began a successful career as a senior international marketing executive for many corporations including Diamond International, The Singer Company, Crane Company and his final posting at Hubbell Inc.

In 1960, after living in Middletown, OH, Scarsdale, NY and Wilbraham, MA, Dick and Joan finally settled in Westport, Connecticut to raise their children. An active participant in the Westport/Fairfield County civic, business and social communities, Dick was a long-time member and President of the Westport Rotary Club, the Patterson Club and a Director of the Bridgeport Economic Development Board. He, Joan and the children were active members of the Greens Farm Congregational Church. An avid runner, Dick competed in many marathon/road races, often with his daughter Kim. He and Joan enjoyed traveling and vacationing in Hawaii and Aruba, but their most treasured time was spent with family sitting on the porch of their home overlooking the Long Island Sound.

A memorial service with military honors celebrating Dick's life will be held in Brickerville, PA this September, where he will be buried alongside his loving wife Joan. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Yale GYN Oncology Cancer Discovery Cure Program, checks made payable to Yale University, with memo line: "19699 - Discovery to Cure", c/o Emily Manzo, P.O. Box 7611, New Haven, CT, 06519-0611.