So many of us have been sharing great memories of Monty Orrick, reflecting on how much joy he added to our lives. Now it’s our time to honor him and support his family.

We are asking for your help on behalf of Monty’s immediate family, wife Carolyn and daughters Brooke and Beth.

Monty died unexpectedly the evening of Sunday, August 24th, after suffering a massive cardiac event while working as a photojournalist in southern Maine. He was just 65 and nobody saw this coming.

Those of you who knew Monty know that he worked hard all his life, providing for his family and taking care of a lot of things to make a good life together, for many years on his native West Coast, and for the past several years in Maine, where he and Carolyn had started a new chapter.

It is crushing that this chapter has come to a very difficult end, now made harder by financial challenges for Monty’s surviving family.

His wonderful wife Carolyn also provided income, but in recent years has become challenged by Parkinson’s disease. Just a few months ago, Carolyn became unemployed.

Unfortunately, the sudden loss of Monty‘s income coupled with added expenses has created an immediate need for short term financial support. This will help to pay for funeral expenses. It will also help cover health insurance and other added costs associated with managing this tragic event.

This is not something that is easy for Carolyn to accept, however she is facing the reality that she and her daughters need help to get through this difficult time.

Many of you who work in local journalism know the challenges of creating a nest egg or emergency savings. That is the case here, such savings do not exist and there are bills to pay.

So many of us loved and cherished Monty for his kindness, wisdom, humility, zest for life, and love of people. He was a gem of a human being, taken from us far too soon.

Please honor him by contributing whatever you can to help his surviving family make ends meet during this time of transition.

Thank you all so much, from Carolyn and family, for providing whatever support you can in Monty’s memory.