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Marvin Lamont (Monty) Maddox
October 11, 1939 - April 19, 2023
Marvin "Monty" Maddox died peacefully in his sleep on April 19, 2023 in Amarillo, TX at the age of 83. He is survived by his sons Lance Maddox of Amarillo, TX and Lyle Maddox of Houston, TX, and his sister Loretta Franks of Kilgore, Tx.
Monty was born on October 11, 1939 in Borger, TX to Guy and Ruth Maddox. He graduated from Borger High School in 1958. He married Vonda Carroll, his high school sweetheart in 1960, who preceded him in death in 2018. After moving to Dumas, Tx, Monty worked for Allstate Insurance and then in 1976, he and Vonda purchased the Sears Catalog Store and managed it until it was sold in 1987. In 1998, the couple moved to Amarillo to begin their retirement years.
To know Monty was to know what faithfulness looked like. Faithful in his roles as husband, father and friend, Monty embodied a fierce loyalty. His enduring love for his wife of 58 years and his two sons were evident in his life until the end. He loved well. A steady and loyal friend one could rely upon for sage counsel and always given with witty charm were trademarks of his many friendships. Monty was one who linked arms with others in their darker days and had the rare gift of lightening the load with laughter. Those fortunate enough to know Monty were met by the grace of God "and the party wouldn't have been complete without him." (Frederick Buechner)
"To such a loss of a soul..kind, gracious...faithful, there is great sorrow mixed with greater hope. A hope of wonder and possibility that exists just over the horizon. And a gratefulness for the encounter to walk each other home" - unknown
A memorial celebration of life will be held at a later date.
(Posted on Facebook by son, Lance Maddox)
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Texas, U.S., Birth Index, 1903-1997
Name Marvin Lamont Maddox
Gender Male
Birth Date 11 Oct 1939
Birth Place Hutchinson, Texas, USA
Father Guy Regnald Maddox
Mother Ruth Sangster
Roll number 1939_0005
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Lester Dan Langley
He was great to be around, especially for me because I have experienced a lifelong uncertainty about being accepted and belonging. For reasons largely my own doing, I was "spiritually homeless" for seven decades of my life. I wish he had been at our April meeting. I believe he would have added a cheerful aside to the comment about words attributed to him about my belonging to the BHS Class of 1958. As I recall, he referred to my "not belonging in the poker game" I was in. And Monte was certainly right about that! He personified what belonging meant, particularly for a group as diverse as ours. I believe he would be the first to concede that some comments made in jest, irritation, or just plain insensitivity about our class have persisted too long. I am reminded of that when I recall some of the snide remarks some of us would make about Southern Baptist views on dancing and drinking, as if Southern Baptists were against fun and had no alternative entertainment, which was wrong. Indeed, if one is referring to the importance of inclusivity, Southern Baptists surpass all other Protestant denominations in their tradition of ALWAYS using one hymn for their Invitational: "Just As I Am." Those words have an existentiaI power and require no "plea bargaining" for our forgiveness and acceptance. I believe Monte understood that one of our biggest problems today is not polarization but alienation. I don't know what Monte's religious affiliation, if any, was, but he reminded me of something I wrote several years ago: "For my classmates from the Borger, Texas, High School Class of 1958, who want to "fit in" but refuse to be "fitted in," who believe the United States of America is America, and who have accepted me as one of their own." In other words, he understood that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.