OBITUARY

Carl Montgomery
Carl Benjamin "Catfish" Montgomery Born August 27, 1919 in Sevierville, Tennessee and passed away April 17, 2007 in Dallas. Survived by his wife, Kathryn Ann Baker Montgomery (Kay); sons and daughters-in-law, Baker and Mary Montgomery and Bill and Susan Montgomery; eight grandchildren, Jeff, Ben, Joan, Ann, Tim, Monty, Porter, and Baker; seventeen great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and hundreds of friends. Preceded in death by his parents and three sisters. There will never be another Catfish. Funny, generous and dedicated, his infectious good humor and boisterous personality belied a deep humility and compassion. He often joked that he was a "legend in his own mind" but in fact he left a legacy of service, friendship and great love. Born to Daniel Porter Montgomery and Ruby Lee Brady Montgomery, Catfish moved to North Texas when he was six weeks old. He attended Addison and Carrollton schools and at an early age developed a strong work ethic. He shined shoes, cleaned up a barbershop, delivered the Dallas Dispatch and delivered milk for McKamy Dairy. At Carrollton High School he was president of the senior class, president of the student body, captain in football, basketball and baseball, and received the outstanding athlete of the year award in 1938. He received a football scholarship from SMU and played there his freshman year, then transferred to North Texas Agricultural College (now UT Arlington) and then to North Texas University where he lettered in football and was a member of the Geezles Athletic Fraternity. In 1942 Catfish joined the U.S. Naval Air Corps. On August 31, 1943 he and Kay Baker, whom he met in college, were married in Little Rock, Arkansas. Following the war they returned to Denton where Cat graduated from North Texas. He served as Chief of Recreation at the V.A. Hospital in McKinney and in 1953 Catfish launched his own Farmers Branch-based company, establishing Montgomery Chemical, Janitorial Supplies and Janitorial Services. Later he opened Carl's House of Furniture and Appliances. Nothing brought Cat more pleasure than his wife and family and all the activities they were involved with. From his two boys to his grandchildren, he was always there to support and encourage. Never critical and always enthusiastic, his presence will be forever felt. Catfish was a charter member of the John L. DeGrazier Masonic Lodge, receiving the 60-year pin and the Golden Trowel Award; a member of the Royal Order of Jesters and a Scottish Rite Mason. He was a valued member of Hella Temple, serving 25 years on the Parade Committee, 20 years on the Golf Committee, 18 years on the Membership Committee, five years as Ceremonial Master and 10 years on the Potentate's Staff, and devoting thousands of hours to the Hella Shrine Circus. For over twenty-five years, Cat was a member of the Southwest Football Officials Association and officiated high school and college games in the North Texas region. In 1960, he became a founding member of the Rotary Club of Carrollton-Farmers Branch, was a Paul Harris Fellow and was honored as Man of the Year in 2004. He served as Honorary Chairman of the Tom Landry Golf Tournament for Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Sunday School President at University Park United Methodist Church; Chairman of the Board of First Methodist Church of Carrollton; three-time Lay Leader of First Methodist Church of McKinney and lifetime member of Brookhaven Country Club. Catfish was dedicated to improving the lives of kids. He served as a Boy Scout Troop Leader and member of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Board. His leadership of the Shriners' Burn Awareness program for many years brought burn-prevention safety education to hundreds of thousands of North Texas children, and was recognized by mayors and Texas governors. He received the acclaimed Eagle Award from North Texas University for his work to reduce high school drop out rates. Larger than life, big-hearted and full of joy, Big Cat put everyone above himself, giving tirelessly to those in need. He embodied unselfishness and generosity, and enriched the lives of his family, friends and community through his love and service. The family wishes to express their sincere thanks and appreciation to the staff at Presbyterian Village North and VITAS Hospice for their loving care of Catfish during his stay there. The family also expresses its deep appreciation for the care given by Rita for the past year. Graveside Service: Private. Memorial Service: 2:00 p.m. Sunday, April 22nd at University Park United Methodist Church, 4024 Caruth Blvd., Dallas. In lieu of flowers, should friends desire, the family requests donations in Catfish's memory to one of the following: Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, 2222 Welborn Street, Dallas, Texas 75219; Shriners Burn Hospital, 815 Market Street, Galveston, Texas 77550; University Park United Methodist Church; VITAS Hospice, 8585 Stemmons Freeway, Suite 700, Dallas, TX 75247; or Presbyterian Village North, 8600 Skyline Drive, Dallas, Texas 75243. Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 3204 Fairmount Street, Dalla, Texas 75201 (214) 953-0363 www.dallasforestlawn.com
 

Published in the Austin American-Statesman on 4/19/2007.
Submitted by Betty Lou (Stanley) Dennis

CARL BENJAMIN 'CATFISH' MONTGOMERY
Always looked to help someone in Carrollton
Dallas Morning News, The (TX) - April 23, 2007
Author: JOE SIMNACHER, Staff Writer [email protected]

Carl Benjamin "Catfish" Montgomery devoted much of his adult life to helping people in Carrollton.

"I don't know if there's anybody whose been in Carrollton for 10 years plus who hasn't some way, somehow been in contact with Catfish," said former Carrollton Mayor Milburn Gravley. "He was always, always looking, working for some way to help somebody in the community, more especially kids.

"He was always smiling, but truly working," Mr. Gravley said.

Mr. Montgomery, 87, died Tuesday of natural causes at Presbyterian Village North.

Services were Sunday at University Park United Methodist Church. Burial was in Hillcrest Memorial Park.

Born in Sevierville, Tenn., Mr. Montgomery moved with his family to North Texas when he was 6 weeks old. Mr. Montgomery attended public schools in Carrollton and Addison, where his parents lived and worked for McKamy Dairy.

He liked to say his passion to give back to the community grew out of his experience as an adolescent, living independently in Carrollton so that he could keep his eligibility to play sports.

"His parents agreed to let him live in the [Carrollton] field house so he could play football, basketball, baseball" there, said his son, Baker Montgomery of Dallas. "He basically, from the ninth grade on, was living over there so he could play sports."

Mr. Montgomery was president of his senior class and the student body at Carrollton High School, which has since closed, in addition to being captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams. He was selected the school's outstanding athlete in 1938.

He received a scholarship to Southern Methodist University but transferred after his freshman year to North Texas Agricultural College, now the University of Texas at Arlington. Mr. Montgomery then moved to North Texas State Teachers College, now the University of North Texas, where he lettered in football.

In 1942, he joined the Navy, taking flight training but working in physical rehabilitation.

Mr. Montgomery married his college sweetheart, Kay Baker, in 1943.

After the war, Mr. Montgomery received his bachelor's degree from North Texas. He then was a recreation chief for the Veterans Administration in McKinney before returning to Farmers Branch, where he established Montgomery Chemical, Janitorial Supplies and Janitorial Services. He later opened Carl's House of Furniture and Appliances.

But devotion to community service was his legacy.

"I have said repeatedly that he'd give you the shirt off his back in a New York minute and he'd go tell somebody else he had to have one so that he could do something else with it," Mr. Gravley said.

The outgoing Mr. Montgomery seemed to appear just about any time.

"Sometimes he wouldn't even knock; he'd just yell M-I-L-B-U-R-N, come on, we've got to go somewhere," the former mayor said.

Mr. Montgomery's other son, Bill, of Dallas, said his father "was the sweetest man I've ever known in my life."

"He was always there, always encouraging," Baker Montgomery said.

A longtime active Shriner, he handled publicity for the group. He was on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board in the 1960s.

He legally changed his name to Catfish to get it on the ballot for an unsuccessful bid for the Legislature in the 1970s.

A charter member of the John L. DeGrazier Masonic Lodge, he received the group's 60-year pin and the Golden Trowel Award. He was also a member of the Royal Order of Jesters and a Scottish Rite Mason. A member of the Hella Temple, he spent 25 years on the parade committee, 20 years on the golf committee and devoted thousands of hours to the Hella Shrine Circus.

A longtime Methodist, he was most recently active in the University Park United Methodist Church.

In addition to his sons, Mr. Montgomery is survived by his wife, Kay, of Dallas; eight grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas; the Shriners Burn Hospital in Galveston; University Park United Methodist Church; VITAS Hospice; or Presbyterian Village North in Dallas.

Dallas Morning News - Apr 23, 2007
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams

Man, 85, honored for giving to community - Catfish - Montgomery showered with accolades at rotary gala

Local philanthropist and larger-than-life personality Catfish Montgomery may hobnob with some of the business community's power-players and politicians - including President Bush - but the man who legally added the name of a fish to his name says he is a kid at heart.

And for as long as he can remember, he has made children his cause celebre.

Mr. Montgomery, 85, was recently honored by the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Rotary Club for his contributions to the communities. A founding member, Mr. Montgomery lived in the area for more than 50 years before moving to Dallas a few years ago to be closer to his sons.

More than 500 attended the Rotary gala at Brookhaven Country Club on Oct. 14. Mr. Montgomery received a congratulatory birthday letter from Mr. Bush and watched videos with recorded greetings from former Dallas Cowboy Roger Staubach and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Former Carrollton Mayor Milburn Gravley said the accolades were well-deserved.

"Catfish is as kind and caring a person as anyone could ever meet," said Mr. Gravley, 73, who has known Mr. Montgomery since they were schoolboys in Carrollton.

Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce president Fred Ferguson said Mr. Montgomery was a generous man who would help anyone in need. He's also known for knowing the right people, and his contributions are legendary, Mr. Ferguson said.

"Catfish Montgomery is an F. Scott Fitzgerald-kind of character - he's famous for being famous," said Mr. Ferguson, 71, who has known Mr. Montgomery for almost 40 years.

An affable man with bright blue eyes and a mischievous grin, Carl Benjamin "Catfish" Montgomery moved to the Carrollton area when he was 6 weeks old. He moved away several times - when he served in the U.S. Navy and when he lived a few years in McKinney.

A former football player who attended Southern Methodist University, he graduated from North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas. He has long been involved in community affairs. The former businessman served on the board of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district and unsuccessfully ran for the state Legislature as a Democrat in a heavily Republican district in Richardson in the 1970s.

That's when he added "Catfish" to his name. He said a high school baseball coach called him that because he was "all mouth and no brain."

His friends say he is a one-man fund-raising organization, with plenty of friends in high places and an innate ability to connect with people.

Mr. Gravley said his friend may talk a lot, but he is a lovable guy and dedicated to serving the community, particularly children.

Mr. Ferguson said he "can't put two sentences together" yet managed to get free tickets to coveted events - including a Super Bowl.

"I wish I could do that," said Mr. Ferguson.

Mr. Montgomery said his passion to give back to the community stems from his experiences as a boy living alone in Carrollton after his parents moved away. He decided to stay in Carrollton to keep his eligibility for playing sports and lived with several families before he graduated from Carrollton High School, which has since closed.

"The families took me in like I was one of their own," he said.

To support himself, he worked as a janitor at a local barbershop and delivered the now-defunct Dallas Dispatch and milk for McKamy Dairy.

Over the years, he has worked as a recreation director for the Veterans Hospital in McKinney, the city of Dallas and owned his own janitorial supplies company. His charity projects have included directing an anti-dropout campaign and fund-raising efforts for Shriners Hospitals throughout the United States.

He's also served as a Boy Scout troop leader and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a faith-based international sports association.

He said he loves working with children because they are innocent and "tell it like it is."

Dallas Morning News - Oct 22, 2004
Author: MARGARITA MARTÍN-HIDALGO, Northwest Bureau
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams