Dr Wally Olson Montgomery passed from this earth Sunday morning, November 3, 2019 at 2:15 AM following a brief illness. He was born May 24, 1936 in Versailles Ky. He was preceded in death by his parents William Albert Montgomery and Katharine Wagner Montgomery. He graduated Valedictorian of Midway High School in 1954 and subsequently attended Georgetown College graduating summa cum laude with a B.S. in Biology in 1958. He obtained his
M.D. degree from the University of Louisville… School of Medicine in 1962 and then completed his residency training in General Surgery at the University of Louisville Hospitals in 1967. Dr Montgomery served as Medical Staff President of Lourdes Hospital in 1973 and of Western Baptist Hospital in 1978. He was the first physician in Paducah to perform arterial blood gas determinations peri-operatively and also performed the first carotid endarterectomy in
Paducah. He was the first physician to serve on the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Hospital Association, a position he held for 14 years.
Dr. Montgomery served as Chairman of the Kentucky Medical Association, (KMA) Board of Trustees. While serving as President of the KMA he received a
Presidential Citation from President Ronald Reagan for his work on developing the Kentucky Physician’s Care Program. He served as Chairman of the Committee on State Legislative Activities for 15 years and was on Kentucky’s American Medical Association delegation for 24 years, leading the delegation for eight years. He received the KMA Distinguished Service Award in 1990. He was President of the McCracken County Medical Society in 1981 and Governor of the Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Surgeons in 1983. He also served as President of the McCracken County Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Montgomery served on the Board of a Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky at its inception. He was also a longstanding member of the McCracken County Board of Public Health, serving as Chairman. He additionally served on the Purchase District Board of Health. In 2009 Dr. Montgomery received the Samuel D Gross Career of Surgery Award from the University of Louisville Department of Surgery.
He served on Paducah’s Community College Board of Trustees, Paducah Bank’s Board of Directors, was a member of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce serving as President in 1995. He was given the Distinguished Alumni Award by Georgetown College in 1984.
Dr Montgomery was a retired Colonel U.S.A.R. with 26 years of service. He served on active duty as COSCOM Surgeon during Operation Desert Shield- Desert Storm and was Deputy Chief of Staff for Health Services 332nd Medical Brigade from 1990-1992, also serving as Commander of the 807th M.A.S.H from 1978-1983.
He has been a member of Immanuel Baptist Church for over 51 years serving as deacon since 1968.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years Geraldine Biggs Montgomery a former two term mayor of Paducah. He is also survived by three children and five grandchildren; daughter Sarah Katharine Montgomery, daughter Dr Evelyn Montgomery Jones and her husband Dr. Shawn C. Jones, son Dr. David Olson Montgomery and his wife Mary Romines Montgomery; grandchildren Rebecca Evelyn Jones, Shawn Curtis Jones, Jr., Benjamin Caleb Jones, Amanda Olson Montgomery and Daniel Romines Montgomery. He is also survived by a twin brother, Jerry Harper Montgomery and wife Madeline of Summerfield, Florida
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 8, 2019 at the Immanuel Baptist Church with Rev. Jamie Broome officiating. Burial with military honors will follow at Mt. Kenton Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Thursday, November 7, 2019 at the Immanuel Baptist Church and after 10:00 a.m. on Friday at the church.
Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah is in charge of arrangements.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to, Georgetown College, 400 East College Street, Georgetown, KY 40324 or to Immanuel Baptist Church, 3465 Buckner Lane, Paducah, KY 42001 or to the Community Foundation, 333 Broadway, Paducah, KY 42001.
You may leave a message of sympathy and light a candle at www.milnerandorr.com