Helen Sterling Montgomery died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 94 at The Bridges of Warwick on December 6, 2023. She was 94.
Born on May 20, 1929, in Buckingham, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Theodore Weld Sterling and Marion Bridge Sterling. She attended Buckingham Friends School and Hannah More Academy, and graduated from National Cathedral School. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.
Between high school and college, Helen spent a year living in New York City, sharing an apartment with her sister Janet and worked in the decorating department at Bonwit Teller.
In the fall of her senior year at Penn she met her future husband Rodney E. “Monty” Montgomery, who was a student at the Wharton School of Business. They were married in June 1951 and lived in Laguna Beach, Calif.; Pensacola, Fla.; Darien, Conn.; and Schenectady, N.Y., before settling in Bronxville, N.Y., in the early 1960s.
During the 1970s she owned Design Patch, a needlepoint business, and was a renowned embroidery teacher, traveling throughout the country giving classes. She served as the President of the Embroiderers Guild of America from 1979-1982. Helen was also a member of the Junior League of Bronxville and a volunteer with Children & Family Services of Westchester.
In 1986 Helen fulfilled her lifelong dream of building a house on a parcel of land that had been part of Lookaway Farm, her childhood home, and returned to Bucks County. She and Monty joined Trinity Episcopal Church in Solebury, where she became an active member. From founding the Christmas House Tour and leading Cookie Bake and serving on the Vestry and two Search Committees, the church and her many Trinity friends would be a central part of her life for the next three decades. To make life in Bucks County feel more like living in a small town, Helen created Thirsty Thursday, an evolving group of 12 couples who gathered weekly for happy hour in each other’s homes. She was also a docent at the Michener Museum in Doylestown.
Helen liked to describe herself as a domestic engineer, proudly hanging her college diploma in the laundry room each time she moved. Before Martha or HGTV, Helen perfected the art of homemaking. She was an excellent cook and hostess, and had a flair for interior design. She was an avid reader, enjoying history, biography, and literary fiction. For many years she served as the Treasurer of the Little Acorns, an investment group at the Acorn Club of Philadelphia. Helen enjoyed travel, gardening, classical music, fine art and playing bridge. She collected puffins, hedgehogs, and thimbles.
Helen was the ultimate people person. She formed and maintained friendships from every school she attended, every place she lived, and during her many travels. She and Monty had 27 godchildren and a Christmas card list of over 500. Perhaps best of all, she was well-loved in return. Helen believed the more the merrier, that children and friends should be cherished, and you should never leave the house without lipstick.
Helen is survived by her sister Janet Murphree, her three children Rodney Montgomery III (Sharon), Peter Montgomery and Lucy Montgomery Glancey (Tom); her grandchildren Tiffany Montgomery Stroup (Monte), Ashley Montgomery and John Glancey; and eight great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held on Tuesday, December 12 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 6587 Upper York Road, Solebury, Pennsylvania 18963.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Helen’s name may be made to:
Friends of Music, Trinity Episcopal Church, P. O. Box 377, Solebury, Pennsylvania 18963 or the James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901.
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