College fund for Jon's children
Donation protected
On Tuesday, October 6th we lost our dear friend and colleague, Jonathan Montgomery. He was 49 years old. He leaves behind two grade school children. We are setting up this campaign for the kids' college education.
Money collected will be transferred to a 529 college savings plan, benefitting Jon's two kids, Catherine and Benjamin.
The world seemed to stop for many of us when we heard, caught off guard by unexpected death which occurred while Jon was at work, doing what he loved – contributing to science and fixing things.
Jon touched so many lives in so many different ways. He was a true friend with a huge heart and his pure love for his family was no secret. Happily married to his best friend, Ann Bloss Montgomery since May 2007, they would connect and enjoy morning coffee together in the backyard before the busy day began at home. Jon was a DIYer through and through, whether it was creating a large spider out of PVC pipe to place on top of the roof for Halloween, perfecting the art of composting, or fixing things around the house, Jon always had projects he was working on. His last project was to clean and organize their garage so they could park the cars inside during the winter. He finished it the weekend before he passed away.
Surrounded by pictures of his family at work, he was reliable, enjoyable to work with, and described as a quiet contributor, a self-driven and self-directed individual with significant and substantial contributions including one patent as co-inventor. Before Argonne, Jon was also the co-inventor for two patents for work he did at SmalTec International. His mind was always working, and Argonne National Laboratory allowed him to imagine endless possibilities while playing in his favorite subjects, science, and engineering.
Jon was passionate about STEM education and camping; his ability to share his excitement with children was incredible. He was able to share his expertise as a Den leader of the Scouts, where his kids were involved for several years. His enthusiasm and passion for Den 4 and Pack 503 was infectious, ever at the ready to volunteer his time and knowledge. He was so proud of both of his kids’ involvement with Scouts. His daughter Catherine joined as soon as girls were allowed to and she is a founding member of Troop 60100, the girl troop connected to Troop 100. Ben joined in first grade and is now a Webelos. Jon was his Den leader the entire time.
Jon loved being a father. He played with his kids, was silly, made fun games, and shared his love of music, the constellations, and Godzilla movies. He volunteered at school activities, was actively involved in his church, First Congregational UCC of Naperville, and attended sports games. Jon created fun opportunities for kids to be kids. You instantly saw that his children adored him. Catherine, age 12, is a 7th grader at Washington Jr. High School, and Ben, age 9, is a 4th grader at Prairie Elementary.
Jon grew up in Ashland, OR, with his brother, Aaron, and sister, Ann. He loved skiing on real mountains (we have none even close here in the flatlands), hiking in the national forests, and swimming in the Pacific. He was very involved with theatre in high school and college as a techie, played the French horn, and worked construction for a year in college learning skills that helped him throughout his life. His parents, Sara and Richard, now live in Gig Harbor, WA where Jon visited as often as he could and made sure his kids knew their grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, and cousins.
Jon was also a friend to many of us here in Naperville, happy to help us fix something, figure out a solution, or just listen. He made everything seem relatable, and his values were always front and center. Our hearts break for Ann, Catherine, Ben, and Jon’s family. We have lost an amazing friend, colleague, and member of the community.
A close work colleague and friend decided to set up a collection fund for his children's college education. Your contribution will be placed into a 529 account for Catherine and Ben to help ease the financial burden for Ann. Jon valued his education at the University of Illinois Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis and wanted his kids to have the opportunity to challenge their minds and learn as he did.
Thank you for supporting the Montgomery family during this time and providing security for their future education.
Money collected will be transferred to a 529 college savings plan, benefitting Jon's two kids, Catherine and Benjamin.
The world seemed to stop for many of us when we heard, caught off guard by unexpected death which occurred while Jon was at work, doing what he loved – contributing to science and fixing things.
Jon touched so many lives in so many different ways. He was a true friend with a huge heart and his pure love for his family was no secret. Happily married to his best friend, Ann Bloss Montgomery since May 2007, they would connect and enjoy morning coffee together in the backyard before the busy day began at home. Jon was a DIYer through and through, whether it was creating a large spider out of PVC pipe to place on top of the roof for Halloween, perfecting the art of composting, or fixing things around the house, Jon always had projects he was working on. His last project was to clean and organize their garage so they could park the cars inside during the winter. He finished it the weekend before he passed away.
Surrounded by pictures of his family at work, he was reliable, enjoyable to work with, and described as a quiet contributor, a self-driven and self-directed individual with significant and substantial contributions including one patent as co-inventor. Before Argonne, Jon was also the co-inventor for two patents for work he did at SmalTec International. His mind was always working, and Argonne National Laboratory allowed him to imagine endless possibilities while playing in his favorite subjects, science, and engineering.
Jon was passionate about STEM education and camping; his ability to share his excitement with children was incredible. He was able to share his expertise as a Den leader of the Scouts, where his kids were involved for several years. His enthusiasm and passion for Den 4 and Pack 503 was infectious, ever at the ready to volunteer his time and knowledge. He was so proud of both of his kids’ involvement with Scouts. His daughter Catherine joined as soon as girls were allowed to and she is a founding member of Troop 60100, the girl troop connected to Troop 100. Ben joined in first grade and is now a Webelos. Jon was his Den leader the entire time.
Jon loved being a father. He played with his kids, was silly, made fun games, and shared his love of music, the constellations, and Godzilla movies. He volunteered at school activities, was actively involved in his church, First Congregational UCC of Naperville, and attended sports games. Jon created fun opportunities for kids to be kids. You instantly saw that his children adored him. Catherine, age 12, is a 7th grader at Washington Jr. High School, and Ben, age 9, is a 4th grader at Prairie Elementary.
Jon grew up in Ashland, OR, with his brother, Aaron, and sister, Ann. He loved skiing on real mountains (we have none even close here in the flatlands), hiking in the national forests, and swimming in the Pacific. He was very involved with theatre in high school and college as a techie, played the French horn, and worked construction for a year in college learning skills that helped him throughout his life. His parents, Sara and Richard, now live in Gig Harbor, WA where Jon visited as often as he could and made sure his kids knew their grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, and cousins.
Jon was also a friend to many of us here in Naperville, happy to help us fix something, figure out a solution, or just listen. He made everything seem relatable, and his values were always front and center. Our hearts break for Ann, Catherine, Ben, and Jon’s family. We have lost an amazing friend, colleague, and member of the community.
A close work colleague and friend decided to set up a collection fund for his children's college education. Your contribution will be placed into a 529 account for Catherine and Ben to help ease the financial burden for Ann. Jon valued his education at the University of Illinois Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis and wanted his kids to have the opportunity to challenge their minds and learn as he did.
Thank you for supporting the Montgomery family during this time and providing security for their future education.
Organizer and beneficiary
Elina Kasman
Organizer
Glen Ellyn, IL
Ann Montgomery
Beneficiary
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