Chris Montague was a renaissance man who played the banjo and guitar in many bluegrass bands in Utah and across the West Coast. He was born in Salt Lake City to Keith Edgar and Emma Elizabeth Snow Montague.
From an early age, Chris embraced his passion for art, music, and the natural world. He graduated from Reed with a BA in art, receiving mentorship from Professor Lloyd Reynolds [art and English 1929–69] and writing his thesis—“Changing A: The Evolution of the Latin Alphabet”—under Professor Robert Palladino [art 1969–84]. A skilled calligrapher, Chris lent his penmanship to album covers and art publications throughout the years.
In 1979, Chris married the love of his life, Elizabeth Welti. They had two children, Tyler and Annie. He infused each moment with beauty and wonder for family and friends alike: rehabilitating birds of prey in the backyard, crafting annual playlists of favorite songs, and hunting for arrowheads in the southern Utah desert.
After working in the arts, Chris worked as one of the two original employees of the Utah chapter of the Nature Conservancy. As director of conservation projects, he negotiated with ranchers, government officials, community members, and private landowners to protect endangered species and thousands of acres (including the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, the Dugout Ranch, and the Matheson Preserve).
After his retirement, Chris was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which he faced, as he did all things, with selfless steadfastness. He was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth by two days and is survived by his son, Tyler, and his daughter, Annie.
![Photo of Professor David Sacks [history 1986–2015]](https://www.reed.edu/reed-magazine/in-memoriam/assets/images/David-Sacks-obit-photo.jpg)
