Sentinel-Standard. - Wednesday, March 11, 1981

Former Ionian, state legislator Montgomery dies

POMPANO BEACH, FLA. - Funeral services for George Montgomery, 72, of Detroit, a 24-year veteran of the Michigan House of Representatives and former Ionian, will be held in Ionia today.

Montgomery died in his winter home Tuesday morning. He had been in declining health for several years and had retired from the legislature in December 1980.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete as of Tuesday night.

MONTGOMERY WAS first elected to the state legislature and served one two-year term in 1944. He returned to the legislature in the election of 1959 and to every session until his retirement.

He served 14 years as chairman o the House Taxation Committee and was regarded as an expert on taxes in both houses of the legislature. Former state Rep. Stanley M. Powell of Ionia and state Sen. Robert Vanderlaan of Kentwood, both Republicans, served in the Legislature with Montgomery a Detroit Democrat, and spoke highly of him.

VANDERLAAN said Tuesday afternoon, "Iv known George Montgomery a long time, ever since I've been in the Legislature. I have always had tremendous respect for his knowledge. He was the taxation expert in the House and for that matter in the Legislature, since no one in the Senate had his command of tax matters."

"I always found him fair to all segments of our society and what was just as important, he was cooperative. He cooperated with the Governor, often on the other party. He was always courteous to me and gave me a hearing. He was a man of great knowledge and great common sense."

Powell echoed those remarks, commenting, " He was also known for his humor which he could bring to bear at taxation committee meetings. He had a real grasp of tax problems and was very influential on the floor."

Montgomery was born in Ionia, Jan. 13, 1909, the son of Alexander and Almerene (Osborn) Montgomery. He attended Ionia public schools but apparently left before graduating from high school.

ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY, a former Ionia County Sheriff and deputy warden of Ionia Reformatory, operated a livery stable on what is now South Kidd Street. The building from which the livery business was operated bears the family name, it is now owned by Lloyd Loop.

Montgomery entered The University of Michigan however, at 16 and graduated in 1929. He met his future wife, J. Wortley, then a teacher when she was invited to attend a birthday party of his honor, and assumed it was he 21st, only to discover it was his 17th. They were married the year he graduated from college.

MONTGOMERY GRADUATED prior to his 21st birthday and had to wait for it before he could begin teaching in Detroit Public Schools. Before he retired, he taught in nearly every junior high school in the Detroit system and retired from teaching civics at Northwestern High School.

At least one Ionian, Ann Agostini, remembers George Montgomery from boyhood days. Agostini said the Montgomery family home was located on the southwest corner of Union Street and Lincoln Avenue, now used as a parking lot by Ionia Public Schools.

"He, and I think a brother, organized a club way back then that met in what was then called the Morse-Babcock building, now the Moose Lodge. It was called the Dragon Club. He was a tall, skinny boy."

AFTER THE ADVENT of the automobile, the Montgomery family appears to have left Ionia and lived at one time in Ann Arbor. Montgomery's father, according to a son, was serving as Archivist of the Michigan Supreme Court when he died.

Montgomery's reputation as a tax expert and a legislative wit, acquired during his 24 years in the House, brought comments after his death from a variety of state leaders, including Gov. William Milliken.

GOV. MILLIKEN SAID, "He had a grasp of complex governmental issues that few could match; he had the integrity to act on his knowledge and the courage to take unpopular stands." The governor ordered the state capital flags flown at half-staff in Montgomery's honor.

Montgomery said his taxation motto was, "To get the largest amount of feathers with the least amount of squawk." Lillian Leeny, Montgomery's administrative assistant remembered his most familiar quip in committee as, "The only just tax is the one imposed on somebody else."

And he poked fun at his own ideas at a 1979 hearing on his unsuccessful proposed tax on checks; "As of yesterday, we had 417 letters against and three letters in favor. And those three letters were postmarked from cities with mental health facilities."

His son, Alfred N. Montgomery, told the Sentinel-Standard that his father "read law, and worked hard - all the time - at taxation." He also gave "seminars" for freshmen legislators which I occasionally sat in on. He was always teaching.

"Before a committee vote, he would sometimes go around the room and summarize each person's position. Then he would say, "Let's run it up the flagpole - and see who shoots and who salutes."

Alfred commented that he had seen Virgil Smith, his father's last taxation committee vice chairman a few days ago. "Virgil said to tell Dad that the property tax relief bill which is now moving through the Legislature is his bill. Dad had tried for years to get some action on it."

IN ADDITION to his wife, Montgomery is survived by two sons, George F. Jr., who has three daughters and Alfred N., who has three sons. A sister, Mrs. Katherine Delvalle, also survives; she lives in Puerto Rico.

Jack Holmes of Estes-Leadley Funeral Home in Lansing told the Sentinel-Standard Tuesday evening that while funeral plans had been made, not all had been confirmed.

Arrangements tentatively have been made for Montgomery to lie in state in the Capitol Thursday.

The funeral was first planned for St. John's Episcopal Service, but with the church under renovation, another Ionia church, where the Rev. Ray Roberts can say service is being sought.

Burial will be in the family plot in Highland Park Cemetery.