David Montgomery Obituary

David Campbell Montgomery

Hanover, NH - David Campbell Montgomery died December 12, 2023, at Kendal at Hanover from Parkinson's disease. He was born on March 5, 1936, in Milan, Missouri to Ruth Campbell Montgomery, a high school teacher of English and Spanish and Merrill E. Montgomery, a lawyer and Probate Judge. He graduated from Milan High School in 1953 and received a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1956 where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. At the University of Wisconsin, he met Shirley Imig, a fellow student, and they were married in Princeton, NJ in 1957. He received a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University in 1959.

David served on university physics faculties at the University of Maryland, the University of Iowa, the College of William and Mary, and Dartmouth College. He also had visiting teaching and research appointments at several universities and laboratories in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan. David enjoyed working with colleagues from other countries and discussing politics and local customs with them.

David was a prominent, internationally recognized expert in the field of plasma physics (the physics of ionized gases). He published two books: Plasma Kinetic Theory (1964) with Dr. Derek Tidman, and The Theory of the Unmagnetized Plasma (1971). He was a fellow of the American Physical Society. He published nearly 200 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, supervised 22 Ph.D. theses and over 20 postdoctoral scholars, and taught numerous undergraduate and graduate physics classes at all levels. He enjoyed teaching and was proud of the accomplishments of his former students, many of whom went on to successful careers in physics.

To mark David's 60th birthday in 1996, the Journal of Plasma Physics, the most prominent journal in his field, published a special issue on nonlinear plasma physics, a topic he pioneered. So many papers were submitted that the issue had to be published in two parts. Also in 1996, he received a special honor from Dutch colleagues: an honorary doctoral degree (Doctor Honoris Causa) from the Technical University of Eindhoven for his work in two-dimensional hydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics.

Although David was very dedicated to his work in physics, he had other interests as well. He was interested in current events and had strong feelings about politics. Readers of the Valley News might recall that he was a frequent contributor to the Forum. His interest in social justice led to his serving on the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of Hanover Friends Meeting and the Support Committee of the American Friends Service Committee for several years. He had an abiding interest in literature, especially poetry. He enjoyed music and art, regularly attending concerts and visiting museums wherever he was living.

David had a lifelong love of nature beginning with collecting snakes with his friends and going fishing with his grandfather when he was a boy. Later, a particular joy was going fishing, hiking, and canoeing with his daughters and grandchildren. He was concerned about the environment and joined the Sierra Club, serving for several years on the board of the Upper Valley Sierra Club.

The sports that David enjoyed were volleyball, badminton, and tennis. At William and Mary, he played on a Physics Department team whose members were multinational and became division winners. Friends from Maryland will recall weekend badminton games followed by cookouts. David liked good food and was an excellent cook. He enjoyed hosting dinner parties for friends.

David was predeceased by his parents: Ruth Campbell Montgomery and Merrill Edward Montgomery, and by his brother Merrill Edward Montgomery, Jr. He is survived by his wife and loving companion of 66 years, Shirley Imig Montgomery, his daughters Elizabeth Montgomery, of Hidden Valley Lake, CA and Kathleen Sutton (Eric), of Silver Spring, MD. grandchildren Wynn Sutton (Cycielya) of Baltimore, MD, and Scott Sutton of Bethesda, MD. Also surviving are brothers in law, Ronald Imig of Simi Valley, CA and Gerald Imig of Franklin, WI and five Imig nieces and nephews and their spouses and children.

His family would like to thank the members of the Hanover Friends Meeting who spent time reading to and visiting with David during his illness and the colleagues, former students, relatives, and friends who stayed in touch over the years and during his illness. We also want to thank the staff of the Health Center at Kendal for their compassionate and skillful care over the past three years when David was wheelchair bound.

Cremation services are being provided by Knight Funeral Home of White River Junction, VT and online condolences may be made at www.knightfuneralhomes.com . A memorial service will be held at Kendal at Hanover on Saturday, January 20th at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in David's name to one of his favorite charities: Listen Community Services, 60 Hanover St., Lebanon, NH 03766; Kendal at Hanover Eudora Dronge Fund (assists health care staff seek educational opportunities), 67 Cummings Rd., Hanover, NH 03755; The Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104, or a charity of your choice.