Raymond E Lee "Ray" Montgomery

Ray E. Lee “Ray” Montgomery, age 79, passed away on Wednesday, the 17th of October 2012, in Buffalo, Texas. Ray was born on the 29th of April 1933 to Raymond and Gertrude Winkler Montgomery in McKinney, Texas.

Ray graduated from Waco High School, class of 1950. He graduated from Rice University in 1955 with a B.A. degree and earned his Juris Doctorate in 1958 at Baylor Law School. Ray met his wife Jan while attending high school in Waco. They were married on the 18th of January 1957 in Waco, Texas.

Ray and Jan moved to Houston where he worked in insurance defense and private practice in general litigation from 1958 to 1962. His career in the judicial system included Assistant District Attorney, Harris County - Capital and Major Crimes Division; Narcotics Prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office; Special Judge, Criminal Defense Attorney, Harris County; Special Prison Prosecutor, Huntsville, Texas; instructing in police schools; and trying over 1,000 criminal trials to a jury verdict. He served as elected district attorney from 1997 to 2004. He initially served in Madison and Leon Counties, then solely as Leon County District Attorney. After his retirement from his position as DA he returned to criminal defense practice in Leon County. He was a former Houston Live Stock Show Committeeman and was involved in many other civic organizations. He was a 32° Mason, a member of Centerville Lodge #1291, and a member of the Arabia Shrine Temple. Ray and his wife were members of Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo, Texas.

Ray is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Janis Main Montgomery, of Buffalo, Texas; sons, Raymond Brian Montgomery, of Orlando Florida, Mark Bradley Montgomery, and Alan Thomas Montgomery of Cypress, Texas; his grandchildren, Luke Montgomery, Jake Montgomery, and Alexandra Montgomery; and a host of friends in Harris and Leon Counties

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from two until five o’clock this afternoon, Sunday, the 21st of October, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A funeral service is to be conducted at ten o’clock in the morning on Monday, the 22nd of October, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, where Rev. Larry Morris, Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo, Texas, is to officiate.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the grand foyer.

Afterwards, the interment is to follow, via an escorted cortege, at Woodlawn Garden of Memories in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions may be directed to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 815 Market St., Galveston, TX, 77550-2725; Salvation Army, 1500 Austin St., Houston, TX, 77002; or to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX, 77210-4486.