JIM MONTGOMERY 1947 - 1986 STATION AGENT, STATION MANAGER, DIRECTOR OF TRAFFIC, ASST MANAGER OF CUSTOMER SERVICES AND MANY OTHER POSITIONS CYS CPR DEN Posted at the FL Club & Facebook: Jim started as a Challenger Airlines station agent at CYS on 4-16-1947. Within a year he was station manager there and went on to fill numerous management positions. He was DEN asst manager-ramp services in 1986 when the end came. Wish him a Happy 92nd Birthday. -Jake Lamkins (1/18/11) Jim phoned about 7:15 pm and we chatted for 10 minutes or so. He mainly wanted to know if I had something from him in my files that he had sent years ago. It was a letter to his nephew that he had sent with the proviso that it not be shared. He needed a copy and said it was okay to publish it now. He talked of Don Duff sending him to RWL to install a gas fired beacon at Sinclair. As noted above, after talking to him I found it and sent to him. I congratulated him on his 92nd birthday and he mentioned how much he enjoyed doing the harmonica. He also said the FLamily was the greatest bunch of people he had ever known. I thanked him for his help while I was in DEN 1984-86. Jim had to do all the grunt work nobody else in management wanted to do: Assign lockers, keep up with keys and replace ones that were lost, maintain personnel files, issue and replace uniforms, maintain records, etc. He was always in a hurry too - you almost had to run to keep up with him. -Jake Lamkins (1/23/11) Went to Jim Montgomery's 92nd birthday party yesterday, 29th of January. What a blast, not your normal birthday party. They had 4 or 5 outstanding harmonica players, guitar players, and two ladies singing great westerns songs. We were in a room at the Baptist church, about 80 people there, at least 10 Frontier folks including Joanie Fohn, Ellen Quinn, Leo Shuster, Dee Lannick (retired flight attendant who also worked 32 years in reservations) couple other guys who worked in maintenance, I'll have to get their names from Leo. But what a fun party, some of these people perform locally at Whispers Night Club on Havana in Aurora, so we have made plans to go enjoy more of their singing. "Greta and the Guys", was one group. Jim sounded great on the harmonica! Three different kinds of cake and some really cool people including his two Sisters and his beautiful daughter Dalyce. -Bonnie Dahl (1/30/11) I have the utmost regard for Jim Mongomery. He was one of my mentors and yes, heroes. He was always the gentleman and full of good conversation and advice. -Kerry Allen (2/24/11) Here is a message from my dad, Jim: Going from memory, I hired on in April 1947 with Summit Airways, predecessor to Challenger Airlines. The original Certificate of Convenience and Necessity was issued to Charles Herzig, fixed base operator at Laramie, Wyoming and his partner Forbes (first name escapes me). The certificate then became the property of George Snyder, fixed base operator in Salt Lake City. George was already flying out of Salt Lake City to several cities in Arizona on a need basis. Our first flights were flown under the name Summit Airways. The name Challenger Airlines came about after Claude Neon gained control and Don Duff appeared on the scene. The name Frontier followed in the wake of the merging of Monarch, Challenger and Arizona Airways by Hal Darr. -Dalyce Montgomery (2/26/11) J. B. MONTGOMERY Notation says Jim DEN Dir. of Traffic DOB 1/26/19 DOH 4/16/47 Per 2/60 FL Roster -Jake Lamkins (5/12/11) I read the Spring 2011 issue of the FL News with mixed emotion. First, I was humored by Jim Montgomery's epistle on interviewing techniques, as Jim was the first person that I interviewed with prior to my hire in the early 70's. I am not sure whether or not our interview followed his format, but the end result was good in that, I was able to join the great FAL employee group. -Roger Gustavson (10/4/11) Facebook: Here's a pic of Jim Montgomery who held a wide variety of management jobs during his 1947 - 1986 FL career. The occasion is Jim's 93rd birthday and he's playing his harmonica. Happy Birthday, Jim!!! -Jake Lamkins (1/31/12) FLacebook & FL Club: DEN assistant manager Jim Montgomery is 94 years old today. This pic is from his party last year - playing his harmonica. There's a birthday party today - maybe we'll get some pix. -Jake Lamkins (1/26/13) Hsppy Birthday Jim, from Ginger Treptow of the Phoenix Station from 1957 till 1986. Many more to follow. -Ginger Treptow (1/26/13) What a wonderful guy, he was the big boss over stations when I hired on in ALS on Jun 15,1949, then almost fired me for spending to much time on the teletype with agents in ABQ, he transferred me frm GJT to SLC as Sr. Agt on Sept 10, 1950. -Duane Phelps (1/26/13) What a great guy! Still going strong! Happy Birthday from Jo (Wemlinger) Griffin, FA - DEN - 1966 to the bitter end!! -Joanne Griffin (1/26/13) Happy Birthday, Jim. Looks like you still have a lot of tread left. -Richard Rohrmann (1/26/13) Happy Birthday Jim...you were a favorite in Denver. Always great to see you at the picnics. Many more! -Connie Mcalister (1/26/13) I went to Jim Montgomery's birthday party, lots of people and great music! Talked to Bill Monday and his wife, they are fine. It was Bill Groody, 94 yers old, that passed away, his funeral is Feb 4. He was a Treasurer, started when Lou Dymond came on board and stayed till 1986, according to Jim. Will send photos of a few people later. Jim 94 today. -Bonnie Dahl (1/26/13) FLacebook - FL Club Two days ago, Jim Montgomery celebrated his 95th birthday. He held dozens of management jobs during his 1947 - 1986 career with Challenger and Frontier. -Jake Lamkins (1/28/14) Jim Montgomery The latest on Jim is that it's hard for him to get around. So hospice is coming to his home. His daughter Dalyce wants me to round up some F/A's to come by and visit, we bring bread, wine and desert. -Bonnie Dahl (10/14/14) I attended small birthday party for Jim Montgomery today, he is 96. He�s not in very good shape, bedridden, hospice. His Sister remembers a book with a picture of Jim and Miss Wyoming in CYS, as I think he started out there in 1949 or something. She says she saw the photo in one of the books that has been published about Frontier. This lady wants to buy a copy of the book with this picture of Jim in it. Can you think of a book with this picture in it? -Bonnie Dahl (1/25/15) FLacebook - FL Club Today is Jim Montgomery's 96th birthday. He started with Challenger in 1947 and was still with FL at the bankruptcy. He held a variety of management jobs over the decades. Here's an article picturing him from Jul 1948. -Jake Lamkins (1/26/15) Jim's daughter, Daylce, just called to let me know that Mr. Montgomery passed away yesterday, Jan 27 at about 1700. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Goodbye to my dear friend Jim. -Bonnie Dahl (1/28/15) My Dad's 96th Birthday Party turned out to be his Celebration of Life/Wake as well. Some of us were lucky enough to say goodbye then. He passed away yesterday evening. His many Frontier Airlines friends will say he has "gone west". He "did it his way". He was healthy and happy and busy for 95 and a half years, or maybe even a little bit longer. He loved his family and friends. He had more friends...from family...from Frontier...from the neighborhood... from many, many of Denver's finest musicians.. more friends than than anybody else I ever knew. His health and strength have been failing fairly rapidly for about the last 6 months and he was bed bound for about the last 2 plus months. You know how much he didn't like that. He had some wonderful hospice care that made it bearable, but by yesterday he was very tired and ready to go find my mom and be free from this life. All of us who knew and loved him are forever richer for it. Thanks, Dad!! Please keep him in your prayers. -Dalyce Montgomery (1/28/15) FLacebook - FL Club Jim Montgomery's daughter has informed us that Jim died yesterday - the day after his 96th birthday. -Jake Lamkins (1/28/15) Wow isn't that something... -Lisa Kerr Zeman (1/29/15) WOW! We never know when our number is up, but I am glad he was able to experience his 96th Birthday. -Jerry Turner (1/29/15) Prayers to his family and friends -Trish Swanson-Hawk (1/29/15) How sad. As I said a couple of days ago. He was one of the great ones. He will be missed. -Buck Hawk (1/29/15) So sorry to hear this news. I first met Jim about 55 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. He was such a nice man. RIP Jim. -Tom Schmidt (1/29/15) Sorry to hear! -Nancy Lester Hays (1/29/15) Sad news - I hope she knows how much he was liked and respected! -Shirley A. Mitchell (1/29/15) RIP Jim -Mark Dooley (1/29/15) A long life & very long career with FL. Greatly respected & a Gentleman. -Jim Mustain (1/29/15) Such sad news! Jim was truly one of the nice guys! -Joanne Griffin (1/29/15) Wonderful person who started me with Frontier interview. God Bless you Jim.. God needed your harmonica in heaven to add to his orchestra.. Your gentle soul is at rest but your spirit is free to enjoy the heavens. You were a very special person.. one of the greats that I'll remember in my reflections of Frontier. -Rosemary Wirth VanEpps (1/29/15) A good guy...RIP..... -Frank Lummie (1/29/15) Condolences to all his family and friends. I can't say I knew him but with his approval I was hired in 1967 and that changed my life forever. Thank you Jim Montgonery and rest in peace. -Kathleen Dionne (1/29/15) Jim was such a professional in any position he held at FL. A good guy that was a big part of the FL heart. God bless him and his family. -Mike White (1/29/15) Enjoyed working with Jim, great man great loss. -Jim Meade (1/29/15) My thoughts and prayers are with the Family. Jim, I'll always remember you as The Best! -Connie Mcalister (1/29/15) I am so glad to hear that Jim lived so long and well. He was great. As a young man of only 19 or 20, Jim always treated me well. People like him were and are great role models and know that I and others will do well to carry that torch. Heck, he seemed like he was old way back then. -Bill Hoermle (1/29/15) We will all have a sunset and Jim did it right. A wonderful life seeing so much in his lifetime with his airline career, music, family and friends ... Had great times working with him. Aloha, -Judi Fenton Plumer, emp#14863 (1/31/15) Jim Montgomery was a wonderful person. He knew how to fix parkas that had stuck zippers. He was manager at Commissary then handled all the uniform stocking for the ramp. -Roger Wallace, Denver ramp (1/31/15) FLacebook and FL Club DEN assistant manager-ramp services Jim Montgomery's memorial webpage has been posted. http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Jim_Montgomery.html My folder on Jim was so full of info on his remarkable 39 year career that it took quite a while to pare it down to a manageable webpage. Jim was one of a handful of FLolks who saw Frontier born and saw it die while they worked for it. I'm sure Jim continued working for Frontier after the bankruptcy. If anyone has info on how long he worked, let me know. -Jake Lamkins (2/17/15) Thank you, Jake. This is wonderful! -Dalyce Montgomery (2/17/15) FLacebook Jim was an amazing guy! -Bonnie Dahl (2/28/19) Jim was a kind gentleman and great to be around. -Mary Robertson Harter (2/28/19)