Donald (Moose) Joseph Montfort, 94, of Bethlehem passed away on February 15th, at Shady Oaks Assisted Living in Bristol. He was born on February 21st, 1930, to Joseph and Mary Margaret (Murphy) Montfort in St. Louis, Missouri. Joe and Margaret had adopted a daughter, Mary Alice, twelve years older than Don, but did not expect to have any more children until he arrived.

Don's childhood during the Great Depression helped shape him, as did his close connection to his Aunt Anne's family, where five cousins served as playmates and the three boys later became his roommates. Don kept in touch with his cousins throughout his life.

Don was athletic and learned to swim at a very early age. He played basketball, football, and pranks at his Catholic boarding school. As a young man he tried many different occupations, including beer delivery, road work, and plumbing, picking up his nickname "Moose," along the way. Don went into the Army in 1950, choosing the air corps and learning how to parachute out of planes because "It paid better."  Don went to officers' training and was assigned to an artillery unit. Don's military travels across the world made a deep impression on him and he always enjoyed travel for work and pleasure, managing to make his way to most of the earth's continents during his lifetime.

After mustering out of the military, Don attended St. Louis University where he met Anne Hufnagel, a chemistry major from St. Johns, Michigan. They married in 1961 and moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where Don traveled the mid-south, selling chemicals for electroplating. Don and Anne had three children, Margaret, Christine, and Nicholas. Don spent many weekends showing his kids the libraries, the parks, art museums, chasing airplanes at the airport, and driving over the cobblestone banks of the Mississippi River port town.

Don and his family moved to Cheshire, Connecticut in 1978 when he was promoted to vice president of sales at MacDermid, Inc. After 25 years of marriage, Don and Anne divorced and he began the second chapter of life in Bethlehem, Connecticut. He retired from MacDermid to establish several of his own businesses, most notably PAL Sales, as the North American distributor of micro-chip handling machines made in Hong Kong.

Life in Bethlehem led to many wonderful experiences for Don, including meeting Agatha and Raphael Lassauze who became his tenants and lifelong friends. Don also met Lesley Waldron and her daughter Anna (Nelmes-Stoughton). Lesley became Don's best friend and business partner. Don remained close to Lesley and Anna (husband Todd Stoughton, children Ellis, and Alden) until his death. Bethlehem became the community he never had in his younger days. Don volunteered driving the ambulance. He attended bell choir concerts, church events, artist events, the Bethlehem Fair, and bought a home on Weekeepeemee Road where he could live among the birds. Don greatly enjoyed the outdoors and hiked/walked great distances. He was a voracious and widely ranging reader of books and magazines.

Don is survived by his three children, Margaret Barondess (David), Christine Montfort and Nick Montfort (Nancy Rapa), his three grandchildren, Jacob, Abbie Barondess, and Doria Montfort, and his niece Mary Jo Braun in Burnsville, Minnesota. Lastly, Don is survived by his cousin Joan Burtelow who was also born in 1930.

A Celebration of Life will take place for Don from 2-4 pm on Saturday, May 10th at Munson Lovetere Funeral Home, 2 School Street, Woodbury, Connecticut.

Contributions in memory of Don can be made to: Bethlehem Community Fund, C/O 1st Church of Bethlehem, PO Box 28, Bethlehem, CT 06751

To leave an online condolence please visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com

Bethlehem Community Fund, c/o 1st Church of Bethlehem
P.O. Box 28, Bethlehem CT 06751