Leo Montague died on Monday, May 7, 2012. A founder of the Vashon Health Center, he served for more than 30 years on its board, in addition to volunteering at Granny’s Attic. He founded the men’s workshop Grandpas, which repaired donated appliances and other items. He also served as one of the early Community Council presidents and as a member of the Vashon Island School District board. An avid reader, he led the local Great Books discussion group. He was troop leader of Boy Scout Troop 294 for 10 years. In 2009, he was honored as the Grand Marshall of the Vashon Strawberry Festival.

Leo John Montague was born in Hover, Washington (near Kennewick) on May 18, 1923, son of Grover and Ruth (who also lived on Vashon for many years). After completing his training as a Navy pilot at the end of World War II, he returned to Washington State College (now University) to finish his education, then moved to Seattle with his new wife, Opal, and started work as an engineer at Boeing, where he remained until retirement. In 1959, the family moved to Vashon, “the perfect place to raise a family on a farm,” he said. Maintaining a lifelong tradition of “never living in a house I didn’t help build,” he added an upper story and a ground floor extension to their west side 2-bedroom farmhouse, where Opal still lives after 53 years.

Leo is survived by his wife, Opal, a sister, Joan, a brother, Dan, four children, John, Jane, Paul and Ruth, and two grandchildren, Eric and Ashlee.

A memorial service will be held at Island Funeral Service, 18005 Vashon

Hwy SW at 2:00 PM on Friday, May 18 (the 89th anniversary of his birth).

Paid Obituary.