Phil Toler Montgomery , of Fruitland Park, FL, passed away on Monday, Sept 15, 2014. He was born on March 16, 1943 in Greensboro, N.C. He is survived by the love of his life for 41 years, Charlotte Johnson Montgomery, brother Riley Montgomery and wife Nancy, nieces, Lynn Montgomery, Lisa Conklin and Jill Costner, nephew Eric Clark, son Philip and his faithful companion, Rex. He was predeceased by his son Chadwick at age 9 and sister Kay Clark. Phil was a devoted husband, father and friend. Mr. Montgomery was a charter member of the Leesburg Elks Lodge and the Marion County Corvette Club. He was a former City Council member of the City of Fruitland Park. His most enjoyable club membership in his last years was the Dip a Dee Donuts “Old Retired Friends Club”. The highlight of his day was getting his freshly baked donut and fresh cooked egg and sharing stories with all of his friends. Everyone who met Phil knew that he was a master storyteller. In addition, Phil was an avid history buff and loved to speak to anyone who showed an interest. If you had the time, he had the story, but, you had better be ready to settle in for a while, because he was a true southerner and with that southern drawl of his, his stories would surely take a while to be told. His passion in life was mentoring others, whether it was sharing his Nascar driving experiences of how to be in 1st place on the last lap, to race car setups, fabricating, crew chiefing or mentoring life lessons in ethical and moral values or just lending an ear when one was needed. When he was given a secret to keep it was forever safe with him. During his 20-year career in law enforcement in Citrus, Sumter and Lake Counties, as well as, the City of Fruitland Park, he was able to turn around many young men and women who were clearly headed down the wrong path back in the right direction, as many of them came to him in later years to personally thank him for his mentoring and his treatment of them. These were some of his proudest accomplishments and memories. Phil was also a master welder and fabricator and could build the most elaborate and intricate working machinery from steel and other forms of metal from the most primitive sketch. Some of his favorite charities included Cornerstone Hospice; The Make a Wish Foundation and the Salvation Army. Our thanks go to The Villages Hospice House, the nursing staff and Dr. Liebersbach, neighbors and friends for their caring, kindness and companionship. A celebration of Phil’s life will be held Thursday, October 2, 2014 at 6:00 p.m., Beyer’s Funeral Home, 134 North U.S. Hwy. 441/27, Lady Lake, FL 32159
