Obituary: Marie Jeanell Goff Montgomery

Marie Jeanell (Goff) Montgomery, 87, died on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Jacksonville, Florida. Jeanell was the third of seven children born in Biloxi, Mississippi, to the late Lafayette and Ethel Marie (Newman) Goff. She graduated from Biloxi High School then earned her A.S. degree from Perkinston Junior College. She continued on to the Gilfoy School of Nursing at Baptist Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, and graduated in 1957.

On May 30, 1958, she married Everett “Ed” D. Montgomery at the Richland Baptist Church, where Ed was the Music and Youth Director. Jeanell went on to complete her B.S. degree in Nursing from the University of Mississippi in 1959. The remainder of her nursing career was focused on educating nursing staff.

The family moved to Oklahoma City, where she received her master’s degree in Public Health. She was invited to head up the Education Department at Deaconess Hospital for the next four years.

In May of 1974, her husband accepted a job in Jacksonville, Florida. Jeanell attended the University of North Florida, where she earned her master’s degree in Counseling. This put her in her favorite area of nursing — Mental Health. She worked part-time on the mental health unit at St. Vincent’s Hospital, while she started a small private practice and ran personal growth groups for women.

In 1990, Jeanell’s husband accepted the administrative position at West Orange Manor in Winter Garden, Florida, before his retirement. While in Orlando, Jeanell worked for 12 years part-time for the counseling ministry at First Baptist Church of Orlando, beginning in November 1990.  She retired in 2003.

Jeanell was passionate about genealogy, and her efforts led to her ancestral homeland of Mondal, Sweden, to her family’s mill, which was the only one still in operation. She also loved collecting shells on their trips to the west coast of Florida.

Jeanell is survived by her loving sons, Brent and Stuart and wife, Vickie; her adored grandchildren, Bryce, Alyssa, Cullen and wife, Sydney, and Carson and fiancee, Emily; her cherished three great-grandchildren with another one due in November; her youngest sister, Pamela Mabry, and husband, Gerald; along with a multitude of extended family and friends. In addition to her parents, Jeanell was predeceased by her devoted husband, Everett “Ed” Montgomery; as well as her siblings, Bettye Jean, Beverly Ann, Mary Helen, Clifton Earl “Buddy” and Kenneth Paul.

Relatives and friends were invited to call from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24, followed by a funeral service beginning 2:30 p.m. at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha. She was to be laid to rest beside her husband following the service in Woodlawn Memorial Park. To share a message of sympathy with her family, visit woodlawnfuneralhomegotha.com.