A TRIBUTE TO TONY MONTFORT
Died 6.00 p.m. June 26th  2007
at St. Raphael’s Hospice N. Cheam


Tony’s life began with an early experience of an air raid, where a bomb destroyed the family home near Wimbledon, where he was to spend, later, many happy & devoted years. A sickening crash from a bomb left the Montfort family homeless and they were evacuated to safety. When they arrived Mother called out, ‘Where’s Tony’ and they rushed back to find him gurgling in his cot, under the stars and rafters. The experience remained with him and, in 1974, he went to see a film in Leicester Square returning rather earlier than expected shaken and needing sustenance. Another bomb had struck near the cinema, the work of the IRA and it awakened childhood memories. Perhaps these two experiences molded his character and made him sensitive to other people’s needs. For that sensitivity is what I most vividly remember as his greatest gift.

As an adolescent he was a pupil at Donhead and Wimbledon College as well as a member of the Parish Scout Troup. He became a leader and Rover. Enjoying the work with youth. As far as I know he began his working life training as a cook in a hotel or restaurant, He was a very good cook as many of us would later testify when he cooked for some occasion at Jesuit Missions or invited us to more intimate occasions in his beautiful flat, not far away, after occupying a room in JM for many years. He was available twenty four hours a day until the then Jesuit Provincial persuaded him to find an apartment where he could relax, though often called on even then.


Unfortunately for Tony, but fortunately for us Jesuits, he could no longer continue to work as a cook as he had some sort of an allergy which terminated his new career. However, through his Scouting activities he came into close contact with Fr. Peter Low SJ. He was Director of Jesuit Missions until his tragic death, when he took some scouts on a canoeing holiday. He turned the canoe over and did not resurface. A great loss to the Province. Tony had begun working with him and he soon became the Director of JM. A post he held from about 1961 to 2005, when he retired. Jesuit Missions, at that time was housed in Spencer Hill, off Worple Road near Wimbledon station but later moved to 11  Edge Hill, further along Worple Road, below the College and parish where Tony had been brought up.


I first met Tony in 1963 when, after periods of teaching at St. Ignatius Preparatory School, Preston Catholic College and Beaumont College, Fr John Coventry, the then Provicial sent me to work as a missionary in the then Rhodesia. He had perceived my true vocation. For a few weeks I continued to meet Tony before setting out for Cape Town in the Edinburgh Castle and, as he often did throughout the years, was given ‘things’ by Tony to take with me for members other mission. It might contain letters; spare parts for a car, radios and tape recorders. “You name it”.

From then onward, beginning with my first leave in 1969 and returning another eleven times for leave or medical care until 2005, I regularly came ‘home’ to Jesuit Missions and the “family” there who always received us warmly.

In the early years Tony insisted on driving out to the airport himself to meet us, later handing this duty over to his brother Bernard and his wife Wendy, to ensure that we arrived without difficulty. In 1974 I even staved longer and helped at Jesuit Missions with Tony gaining even greater insight into the work Tony and his colleagues were doing for the three regions of Rhodesia, Guyana and South Africa and for many other missionaries all over the world.

We met Gwen, who kept the house in order, Phil and her sister Joan and, later Alan Fernandes - who came to deal with finance and administration. He was also encouraged by Tony to invite others to join him as the ‘Wombles of Wimbledon’ taking part in the London Marathon which brought in many donations for the work of the mission and is a yearly event now. Phew— I would not like to run in the Womble uniform in the heat of the day! Others too came and went.


Highlights of Tony’s years, as I experienced them, are many, and deeply appreciated. While staying in the house Tony always went upstairs to our welcoming common room to supply a drink and chat about whatever news came with his new visitors. He enjoyed listening to our fables and foibles, always with the utmost charity, The Father who took an underground ticket to Oxford Circus and then used the ticket to try and reach the sacred spires of Oxford. He was, regretfully fined 30 pounds by the ticket collector! The travel exploits and mishaps of others-innocents abroad. Tony loved the Society and nothing pleased him more than to design and ask Fr. General Hans Kolvenbach to come and bless a new chapel upstairs. There are pictures of St. Therese of Lisieux, the patron saint of the mission, Bernard Darke SJ who died taking sensitive photos outside a court in Guyana; pictures of the Pope and of the General himself. Might it now have one of Tony himself if that is liturgically acceptable!.

He was always available to listen to and supply whatever needs we had during our stay. He had a wide circle of contacts who could supply us with anything from an elephant to a small screw I’m exaggerating! He acted swiftly and efficiently.

Did I only speak of material needs? What of more intimate and even spiritual needs. You could open your heart to him and I think he knew more about our Society than many of its members. He would look at a returning missionary and could discern, even before any doctor entered the scene, that one or other of us needed medical help. On at least one occasion he saved the life of a very sick missionary by his quick reaction to what he saw. Many others shared their problems and he was discreet and encouraging at all times. He was a pillar of strength to many. Very conscious of keeping in contact with relations of missionaries when the need arose — when someone was sick or had died. He also insisted on sending notes of thanks to each and every donor even before the recipient could send a note of thanks himself. Sitting by as he drank his early morning first coffee and opened his post was a ritual which was impressive. ‘Our’ hospital in North Cream ‘St Anthony’s', began to know Tony well. How often he made arrangements for one or other of us to go there for treatment. But not only that, almost daily, when someone was ill, he insisted on driving twenty minutes away by car to visit a patient and to invite any of us in the house to accompany him. He would sit there as we chatted and effaced himself as we talked. Just an encouraging smile . . .Never forgetting to supply whatever needs we had. The very hospital where in St. Raphael’s Hospice, opposite the hospital, where he was to be cared for during his brief last days.


Memories, memories, memories so many to recall, of Jesuit Missions & of Tony himself. We have so many reasons to be grateful for his loving care of us all with is indefatigable staff. Tony ,in away, was ‘married’ to the work of Jesuit Missions. It was his life and, as he said recently, he never seemed to have serious health problems until he had to retired from the work and ‘family’ he loved for over forty years. Then began his ‘dark night’ when sickness struck seriously. It was fitting that he ended his last few weeks among the Sisters who had watched him over the years giving so much to the sick in his care. His last words to me as I managed to phone St. Raphael’s before he died were, “I’ll speak to you again, Tony,’ He will, and we shall have more stories to share.


Anthony Bex SJ
Regional Seminary Chishawasha
Zimbabwe
27.06.07