William Shepherd Montgomery, 84, Bloomington

William Shepherd Montgomery of Bloomington, Indiana, previously of Jasper, completed his earthly journey on August 27, 2026.

He was born in Muncie, Indiana, on February 27, 1942, to Maxwell J. Montgomery and Dorothy Racey Montgomery.

Bill was predeceased by his parents in 1986 and 1989 and then by his brother, Mike Montgomery, in 2016.

After graduating from Burris High School in Muncie in 1960, Bill entered Indiana University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the IU School of Business. At IU, Bill was a Member of the Chi Phi Fraternity, ROTC, the Interfraternity Council, wrote for the Arbutus Yearbook, and participated in other campus groups.

In 1965, he enlisted in the Army Reserve in Muncie and, after training, served as Company Clerk for his Fort Knox unit.

Following the military and while working for UniRoyal in St. Louis, Bill met Dolores Wikoff. He and Dee were married January 30, 1971, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Bridgeton, Missouri.

After UniRoyal, Bill turned to the “contract furniture” business and was part of the development and rapid expansion of the Kimball Office Furniture Company in Jasper, where he and Dee lived until July 1989.

In 1989, Bill and Dee moved to Brook and purchased an existing retail operation – a drugstore and gift shop – later converting the business into the sale of logoed promotional products, apparel, and custom food gifts. Since much of that business could be conducted without a “walk-in store”, they made the move to Bloomington in 2014 and continued their merchandising business before formally retiring December 31, 2022, when Bill was 80.

Surviving Bill are his wife Dee; brother-in-law Bill Wikoff and wife Marcia; sister-in-law Sara Montgomery; niece, Ann; nephews, Barry and David; and Kurt and Elisa Eckert and their son Austin, who became “part of the family” 50-plus years ago.

Visitation will be at the Day & Deremiah-Frye Funeral Home, 4150 East Third Street, in Bloomington on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Services will be at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, September 3, 2026, at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 2222 E. Third Street, Bloomington.

Interment will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in Gardens of Memory Cemetery, 10703 IN-3, Muncie, IN.

Preferred memorials should be sent to the “I.U. Foundation/Hospice House,” Post Office Box 500, Bloomington, IN 47402.