Patrick Montgomery COL. RET.

Colonel (Ret.) Patrick Joseph Montgomery, 73, died Sunday, December 4, 2011, at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, Colo. Funeral services with take place at 1 p.m., Friday, December 16, 2011, in Sierra Vista, Ariz. Interment will be at the Southern Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, also in Sierra Vista.

Col. Montgomery was born July 18, 1938, in Sioux City, Iowa, one of a set of twins, to Phil and Cathrine (Hogansen) Montgomery. He grew up in and attended schools there, joined the Army National Guard in 1955, and then graduated from Bishop Heelan High School in 1956. After high school, Patrick attended San Diego State University for two years and then enlisted in active duty with the US Army in 1962. In 1963, he attended Officer's Candidate School and graduated an Infantry 2nd Lieutenant. Col. Montgomery’s Army career took him to Korea, Vietnam, and Germany, just to name a few. In 1973, he married and they had a son, Ryan, in 1974. He retired from the US Army in 1987, and was in the government civil service from 1988-2003 at Fort Ritchie, Md., Fort Dietrick, Md., and at the Pentagon. He was divorced in 2008. Col. Montgomery moved from Hagerstown, Md., in 2010 to Durango to be near his son. He enjoyed reading, traveling the world, movies, shooting and dogs.

He is survived by Ryan Patrick Montgomery (son) of Durango; Michael Montgomery (brother) of Sioux City, Iowa; Bobbie Montgomery (sister) of San Diego, Calif.; Charlene Montgomery (sister) of San Diego, Calif.; and Charles Walker (stepfather).

He was preceded in death by his mother Cathrine Webb, stepfather Theron Webb, and father Phil Montgomery.

Memorial contributions may be made to La Plata County Humane Society or the Durango Public Library.