John MacPherson Montgomery born Aug. 30, 1948, son of Chick and Laura Montgomery (Chick Montgomery Sporting Goods), went home to be forever with Jesus. his Savior, on Nov. 30, 2025. John was born in Colusa, a small farming town on the Sacramento River in Northern California. He graduated from Colusa High School in 1966 and went on to get a degree in German at San Francisco State University. After a few years of working odd jobs in San Francisco, he moved to West Berlin, Germany where he continued his German language studies. He then moved to England and received a degree in Library Science and began work as a librarian at Chatham House’s Royal Institute of International Affairs. After a few years he was hired by The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in Whitehall as a librarian. He was employed there until his retirement in 2011. Upon retirement he had a compelling desire to move back to the US. He began searching for a place that reminded him of his hometown Colusa but one that was in the more eastern part of the country. He discovered Eatonton, and a house that fit perfectly with his vision and so, made the move. The only drawback was his beloved daughter, Katherine, who was back in England. He figured being close to Atlanta would enable him to fly somewhat frequently to the UK to see her.
John loved Eatonton. He loved his neighbors. He loved the people. He loved the small-town atmosphere. And he loved Spike, his rescue dog. Unfortunately, his life began a downward trajectory after a back injury and an unsuccessful surgery in Athens. After nearly 2 months in hospital, he passed away. His daughter was by his side up until the last few days of his life.
The highlight of John’s life was the wedding of his daughter, Katherine.
John will always be remembered for his friendly manner, his humor, wit and genuine love for people. Yes, he could get cranky and frustrated especially with the constant barrage of spam calls and then especially with the “Cell Phone.” He was an interesting and loving character as all who got to know him would testify. Each of us miss him so much!
Services for John were held in Chester, England with his daughter, Katherine, family and dear friends. John is survived by daughter Katherine, son-in-law Matt Pudney, Joan Montgomery, and grandchildren Lucy and Stanley.