Ronald ‘Ron’ B. Montgomery
April 27, 1937 to February 25, 2022
Surrounded by his loving family, Ronald Barrymore Montgomery, 84, passed away at Lakeridge Health Oshawa on Friday, February 25, 2022.
He is survived by Janet, his devoted wife of almost 65 years, and daughters Kathryn (Alan Perry), Laurie (Jim Haughey), Jill (Jeff Moulton) and Heather (Rob Hannam). Ron’s grandchildren adored him and include Alan James Perry (Alyssa), Elyse Perry of Toronto, Sinéad Haughey (Michael) and Gabriel Haughey of Clemson, South Carolina. Mother, Mildred, father Charles and his brother Bern predeceased him.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Hazel in 1954, Ron was hired along with legions of repairmen to restore communication throughout a vast portion of Ontario. Ron retired from Bell Canada in 1992 with 37 years of service.
Ron was perhaps best known for his work ethic. He taught his girls by example to work hard for the things they want and to cherish and be grateful for the things they had. He would remind his family all the time that the “lightest toolbox is the one between your ears” and delighted seeing the family excel through persistence and resilience.
Born in Orillia, Ontario on April 27, 1937, Ron’s youth was spent in the Parry Sound region. As a child growing up around large lakes he could swim as soon as he could walk. He had a great flair for sharing his memories, telling his girls of the times he and his friends would take advantage of large ships being launched to bob in the water across the sound and await what would be a monstrous wave they could ride all the way to shore.
An avid outdoor enthusiast, he taught his four daughters to appreciate camping, fishing and canoeing and toured the eastern provinces and states with the family’s Otto Prospector camper in tow. He taught “his girls” how to get a drink of lake water off a canoe paddle, how to spot deer while on a hike, how to safely appreciate mama bears with cubs and a list too long to enumerate of fine things to know.
Ron was a family man. He was incredibly supportive of all the various activities of his family – whether through driving to sporting events or band performances. As grandchildren arrived on the scene, he was there for their races, recitals and rock band performances and he told each of his grandchildren they were “incredible humans.”
A car aficionado, driving country roads was like therapy to Ron. Before teaching his girls how to drive, each had to know how to change a tire by themself and the precise turn radius of the vehicle. Often it would be three to four lessons in before a wheel ever turned. He taught his daughters the difference between a Robertson and Phillips head screwdriver, but during the time they were learning all the names of various tools they would bring their Dad whatever their small arms could carry in the hopes it was the item he had asked them to retrieve.
In recent years a good day was a day he could drive for a visit to Kathy’s and Al’s in Janetville, a good weekend was a visit to Haliburton to see Jill and Jeff and a good week was driving with daughter Heather or Kathy to see Laurie and Jim in Clemson, S.C. Ron kept his passport current and was always up for an adventure.
Ron enjoyed the company of his cherished lifelong friends and had spent many an hour laughing over coffees. He enjoyed annual trips to his hunt camp in Muskoka, beginning in his early years with his grandfather and uncles and later teaching his son-in-law Al the lay of the land.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. Thursday, March 3, 2022 at Armstrong Funeral Home, 124 King St. E, Oshawa, Ontario. A funeral service will follow the visitation at 11 a.m. in Armstrong Funeral Home Chapel. Private interment at Resurrection Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made The Friends of Algonquin Park (FOAP), a non-profit Canadian registered charity dedicated our to furthering the educational and interpretive programs to develop current and future stewards of Algonquin Park. Donation information can be found here: www.algonquinpark.on.ca/foap/donate/.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Ronald ‘Ron’ Montgomery Saturday February 26th 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Oshawa, Province: Ontario