Longtime Philadelphia Phillies executive David Montgomery passed away Wednesday morning at age 72 following a five-year battle with cancer.
During a career with the team that he began in 1971 as a ticket office employee and scoreboard operator, he worked his way up to executive vice president in 1981, chief operating officer in 1992, and president and chief executive officer in 1997.
After taking a leave of absence from the Phillies following his diagnosis in 2014, he returned in 2015 as chairman and remained active in that role until his passing.
“David was one of Philadelphia’s most influential business and civic leaders in his generation,” said Phillies managing partner John Middleton. “He has been an invaluable business partner and, more importantly, an invaluable friend. He was beloved by everyone at the Phillies.”
Highlights of Montgomery’s tenure as an executive include the transition from Veterans Stadium to Citizens Bank Park in 2004 and a World Series championship in 2008.
“David was truly a great man. I have never known a person with more integrity or who truly cared so much about everyone who worked for the Phillies,” said the team’s chairman emeritus, Bill Giles. “He and I worked hand-in-hand for over 30 years. During that time, I saw his unparalleled love for his family, the Phillies and the team’s fans, and of course, the City of Philadelphia.”
Montgomery is survived by his wife, Lyn; three children, Harry, Sam and Susa; and three grandchildren.
“I was just blessed with opportunities,” Montgomery told the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1999. “It never felt like a job to me. I was just pursuing my passion in sports.”