Obituary of F. Douglas Montague

MONTAGUE, F. Douglas "Doug" - It is with great sadness that his family announces the passing of F. Douglas Montague, with his children at his side, on Friday, March 27th, 2009. Beloved husband of the late Eleanor (nee Shotton)(1983). He will be forever remembered by his son Doug (Mary), of Gibsons, B.C. and his daughter Bev Matthews (Dave), of Richmond Hill, ON. Survived by his brothers and sisters Muriel Rolfe, Joyce Strevel, David, Grace Nixon, and many nieces, nephews and friends. Doug had a long and successful career of over 40 years with Union Gas Company. He also made many contributions to the community as a member of the Rotary Club for over 50 years, a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship Award, Past President of the Brantford Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman of the United Way. Over his lifetime, Doug was an avid golfer and curler, and especially enjoyed family time at his cottage on Crane Lake. Friends will be received at the Beckett-Glaves Family Funeral Centre, 88 Brant Ave. on Tuesday from 11 - 1 p.m. A Memorial Service will follow in the Chapel on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. Cremation has taken place. Donations to the Rotary Club of Brantford, 77 Charlotte St., Brantford, N3T 2W8, (519) 753-4317 would be appreciated. A tree will be planted in memory of Doug in the Beckett-Glaves Memorial Forest. Up Close & Personal Welcome to the inaugural issue of "Up Close & Personal", a special Philos feature highlighting the life and times of fellow Rotarians. "There are a lot more interesting members in the Club than me", uttered one of our Club's unsung heroes when asked if he could be interviewed for the premiere edition of "Up Close & Personal". Yet, our own "Doug Montague" has been actively involved in one Rotary Club or another, including Guelph and Hamilton, since 1958 offering a wealth of knowledge gleaned through years of experience. Doug was inspired to join Rotary when his former manager at Union Gas in Guelph asked if he could lend a hand to help transport physically challenged children to a Rotary meeting. As he reached to help a child out of the back of the car, he felt a fistful of metal appliances instead of the soft and tender frame of a child. As a new dad himself at the time, this was an emotional experience that changed him for life. He joined the Club immediately thereafter and has never looked back! Doug has a real passion to help the needs of others. He is proud of the work that Rotary has done but feels there is still much to do. Doug has been actively involved with the Club in many capacities over the years and has been instrumental in initiating a number of projects and activities. Serving on the board numerous times, in addition to chairing practically every committee, Doug has seen a lot of changes in the Club over the years. Looking back on his achievements, Doug admitted feeling a sense of frustration now that he cannot be as actively involved as he would like. He is very conscious about his hearing loss which limits his involvement at meetings and discussion around the table. As a result, he has had to take a lower profile these last few years, but this hasn't dampened his boyish spirit. One may recall a photo of Doug and our own Jack Passmore with their legs plunged into the chilly water of CKPC's water fountain during their active participation in the Club's Car Rally Fellowship event! Originally from England, Doug served the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1942 - 1945. Known by his friends as, "Dancing Doug", he met the love of his life at a dance back in 1948. "Mr. Romance" asked her out on a date when he saw her again on the City bus in Walkerville (near Windsor). On their first date, they danced the night away and were married just a few months later. Within the next year, "Dancing Doug", who had never built anything in his life, attempted and succeeded at building their own home - a risky proposition for the new groom! His wife Eleanor was a real philanthropist in her own right, actively involved in the I.O.D.E., and the Red Cross while balancing work and home life as well. Doug recalls with a boyish grin, "At the time we got married, Eleanor made more money in her Christmas bonus working at Zenith, than I did in an entire year as a meter reader! Doug worked for Union Gas for 42 years. From his humble beginning as a meter reader, to several promotions later where he served as Manager, Eastern Region (Union Gas), and General Manager (United Gas), then Division Manager and finally, Manager of Branches, he got to experience every facet of the company throughout the last four decades. Though Doug took an early retirement to enjoy some major travel plans with Eleanor, sadly their dream trip to Portugal was cancelled in 1983 due to the discovery of Eleanor's cancer, which claimed her life later that year. Doug and Eleanor enjoyed a wonderful life together. He remembers, "My friends at Rotary really helped me to deal with the grief I felt after I lost Eleanor. It was tough to go on, but the Club eased me through the difficult times. I'll never forget the kindness expressed to me by so many caring friends." Doug and Eleanor were the proud parents of two children, now grown and enjoying active lives of their own. Their son, Douglas Jr., continues the utilities tradition working for B.C. Hydro in Vancouver. Beverley their daughter is now a lawyer living in Richmond Hill. Bev experienced the impact of Rotary first hand when she vacationed in France one summer as an "Au Pair" for a Rotary family, thanks to her dad's encouragement. This connection remains strong today as a number of visits between various family members occurred between the two countries after this bond was formed. In addition to his many Rotary duties over the years including Publicity Chair for the District Governor in the early 1960"s, Doug has been active in the community with various groups and agencies. Doug has taken on the roles of President of the Chamber of Commerce, V.P. of Lansdowne Children's Centre, Charter member of Probus, and an active participant with the Red Cross Society. Last year, Doug enjoyed his role on the Campaign Cabinet for the Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre's "Hope Can't Wait Campaign". While modest of his achievements, Doug is still willing to help out the community any way he can. Great Rotarian influences in his life have been many including Larry Milligan, and his "over-the-fence" discussion with him that convinced him to join our Brantford Club. Other golfing buddies like Bruce Hodgson, Vern Gayle, Carl Sharra and Irving Bodine would frequent the golf course together to try and solve the problems of the world. "The best ideas we ever had came from the greens," Doug chipped in with a smile. More recent influences include Past-Presidents Steve Somerton and Bob Peeling. "These two fellows have really went our of their way to make us old guys feel a part of things", he added. When asked about his hopes and dreams for Rotary of the future, he was hopeful about the eradication of polio around the world and recalls the skepticism that was felt when this goal was announced some years ago. Now that this goal is in sight, it instills a sense of pride in him that he shares with many of his good friends in Rotary. Reflecting on any words of wisdom he would like to impact on new Rotarians, Doug immediately responded, "Get involved and don't wait to be asked to do something. Don't do something for the headlines, but for the sincerity of the cause." he added, "It's a real privilege to be a part of a Club like this. Instant friendships will be formed that will stay with you for a lifetieme!"