Mark Montgomery ’85

Mark died Jan. 9, 2018, when a mudslide carried away his house in Montecito, Calif. His daughter Caroline also died, while his son, Duffy, miraculously survived. His wife, Catherine, and daughter Kate were not at home.

 Mark was born in New York City and grew up in Chappaqua, N.Y. He graduated with honors from Princeton, where he majored in economics, wrestled for one year, and was a member of Tower Club. He studied medicine at Columbia University Medical School and Harvard Medical School. He became a prominent hand surgeon in Santa Barbara, healing celebrities, day laborers, and everybody in between.

A dedicated Yankees fan and amateur sportsman, he organized his medical schedule so he could coach all three of his children’s baseball teams in the same season, just as he would later attend all of their water polo games, earning a reputation as a vociferous cheerleader. He played ice hockey and softball and started a local rugby program.

A memorial gathering was held in Toronto — near a favorite summer canoe-trip camp — to honor Mark and his daughter, and was attended by 10 members of our class. (That summer camp is where Mark went and worked as a boy and young man, and so did all of his children.)

In addition to his wife and children, Mark is survived by his parents, David ’58 and Kate; and his siblings, David Jr. ’83 and Sarah.