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A RESOLUTION adjourning the Senate in honor and loving memory of Dr. Wally 1
Olson Montgomery. 2
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery was born in Versailles, Kentucky, on 3
May 24, 1936, the beloved son of the late William Albert Montgomery and Katharine 4
Wagner Montgomery; and 5
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery graduated valedictorian of Midway 6
High School in 1954 prior to graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in 7
Biology in 1958 at Georgetown College. Dr Montgomery obtained his Doctor of 8
Medicine from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1962 and completed 9
residency training in General Surgery at the University of Louisville Hospitals in 1967; 10
and 11
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery served as Medical Staff President of 12
Lourdes Hospital in 1973 and of Western Baptist Hospital in 1978; and 13
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery was a pioneer in the field of medicine 14
becoming the first physician to perform arterial blood gas determinations peri-operatively 15
as well as the first carotid endarterectomy in Paducah, Kentucky. In addition, Dr. Wally 16
Olson Montgomery was the first physician to serve on the Board of Directors of the 17
Kentucky Hospital Association, a position he held for 14 years; and 18
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery served as Chairman of the Kentucky 19
Medical Association Board of Trustees leading to a Presidential Citation from President 20
Ronald Reagan for his work on developing the Kentucky Physician's Care Program; and 21
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery served as Chairman of the Committee 22
on State Legislative Activities for 15 years and was on Kentucky's American Medical 23
Association delegation for 24 years, leading the delegation for eight years and, in 1990, 24
receiving the Kentucky Medical Association Distinguished Service Award; and 25
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery served as President of the McCracken 26
County Medical Society in 1981 and Governor of the Kentucky Chapter of the American 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 1700
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College of Surgeons in 1983. He also served as President of the McCracken County 1
Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and as a member of the board of a 2
Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky at its inception; and 3
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery was a longstanding member of the 4
McCracken County Board of Public Health, serving as chairman. He additionally served 5
on the Purchase District Board of Health, leading to his receipt of the Samuel D. Gross 6
Career of Surgery Award from the University of Louisville Department of Surgery in 7
2009; and 8
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery served on Paducah's Community 9
College Board of Trustees, Paducah Bank's Board of Directors, and a member of the 10
Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce, serving as President in 1995, and a past President 11
and longtime member of the Rotary Club; and 12
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery received the Distinguished Alumni 13
Award by Georgetown College in 1984; and 14
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery honorably retired a Colonel of the 15
United States Army Reserves with 26 years of service, including active duty services as 16
the Corps Support Command Surgeon during Operation Desert Shield-Desert Storm, as 17
the Deputy Chief of Staff for Health Services 332nd Medical Brigade from 1990 to 1992, 18
and the Commander of the 807th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital from 1978 to 1983; and 19
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery was known by his patients and hospital 20
staff for his compassion, skill, leadership, and humor; and 21
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery and his wife, Gerry, are known for their 22
philanthropic hearts which have permeated the state; and 23
WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery, a loving father and doting " Grandpa," 24
was known in his family for games of Rook, travel with his children and grandchildren, 25
his prowess at poker, and his traditional fruit salad which he made for every family 26
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WHEREAS, Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery passed on November 3, 2019, and was 1
survived by his wife, Geraldine "Gerry" Biggs Montgomery, a former two-term mayor of 2
Paducah who passed away on November 17, 2021. Dr. Montgomery is also survived by 3
his children, Sarah Katharine Montgomery, Dr. Evelyn (Shawn) Montgomery Jones, and 4
Dr. David Olson (Mary) Montgomery; his grandchildren, Rebecca Evelyn Jones, Shawn 5
Curtis Jones, Jr., Benjamin Caleb Jones, Amanda Olson Montgomery, and Daniel 6
Romines Montgomery; his twin brother, Jerry Harper (Madeline) Montgomery; and a 7
host of other family members, friends, patients, and loved ones who will dearly miss his 8
presence in their lives; 9
NOW, THEREFORE, 10
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 11
Kentucky: 12
Section 1. The members of the Senate hereby express their most profound 13
sympathy upon the passing of Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery. 14
Section 2. When the Senate adjourns this day, it does so in honor and loving 15
memory of Dr. Wally Olson Montgomery. 16
Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 17
Resolution to Senator Danny Carroll for delivery to the family. 18