Catherine Lewis Montgomery

CATHERINE LEWIS MONTGOMERY was born May 25, 1923 in Washington, D.C. to Lloyd and Catherine Branch Lewis. She attended public schools in New York City.  Afterwards, she attended Howard University in Washington D.C. from 1944 to 1946. She studied Commercial Law at the University of California Extension in San Francisco, CA from 1948 to 1949. In 1968, she received an Associate Degree in Public Affairs from the National Institute of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. She also completed additional training in Personal Management; Civic Rights Law Enforcement in Employment and Housing, affirmative Action, and Executive Development.

Catherine Married Alpha LeVon Montgomery in 1947. One son was born to their union, Alpha LeVon Montgomery Jr.  They later divorced in 1964.

During the early years, she joined Bethel Baptist Church under the pastorage of the Late Dr. C. H. Hampton.

Catherine worked for OPA (Office of Public Affairs) in Washington, D. C. from 1941 to 1947. After moving to San Francisco, she began her employment with the Naval Radio Defense Lab from 1947 to 1949. In 1950, Catherine moved to San Diego, CA, where she worked as an Administrative Assistant at the Naval Electronics Lab from 1950 to 1962. Sometime afterward, she began working as an Equal Employment Specialist Examiner Investigator for Discrimination Complaints at the Naval Command Center S / W Region, San Diego District and ultimately retired in 1989. Catherine’s extensive career also includes serving as Fair Employment and Housing Commissioner for the State of California, Personnel / Admin. Services Director of Economic Opportunity Commission of San Diego County and City of San Diego Planning Commissioner.

“Cay”, as she was known by her friends and co-workers while working as a consultant in Urban Affairs, performed consultative services for a variety of public and private entities and individuals in career development for women and minorities; discrimination in housing and employment; affirmative actions; community planning and development; and leadership training.  Cay had life membership in NAACP; National Council of Negro Women, Inc.; Soroptimist International, San Diego; the Links, Inc. and Friends of the Library.  She initiated and coordinated Drive for a new Valencia Park Library Facility opened in 1996 and administered the Tech Fund to provide technical equipment and technology for Malcolm X Library.

Cay left this world on Monday, May 7, 2018. In her 94 years, she touched the lives of many people in which her spirit shall live on.

Catherine was survived by her son, Alpha Montgomery Jr.; daughter in-law, Myrtle Montgomery; two grandsons, Eric Kilpatrick and Ja’Mar Montgomery; two granddaughters, Shannon Williams and Amber Montgomery; grand daughter-in-law, Delores Kilpatrick; three great grandsons, Eric Kilpatrick Jr., Gabriel Kilpatrick and Isaiah Talton; six great granddaughters, Nelly Kilpatrick, Angelica Kilpatrick, Jordyn Chiles, Kiyana Teartt, Olivia Montgomery and Kaiyah Jordan; one great great-grandson, Logan Kilpatrick. And a host of other relatives and friends.

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