Glen Montgomery funeral today hears teenager 'for all the right reasons was a legend' and his 'sudden and untimely death has left his family, his friends and this entire community devastated'

Rev Michael Anderson who is minister of Arklow Presbyterian Church in Co Wicklow thanked Rev Philip McClelland for allowing him to conduct the service at Vinecash Presbyterian Church in Portadown for the son of his cousin Hugh Montgomery and their family.

The cleric said that Glen who had been born prematurely had become a man of “6 ft 5 inches tall and had a muscular physique” which was a surprise to his mum who had “thought this child would never be reared”.

Teenager Glen died on April 16 after being involved in a car collision.

Last Sunday a PSNI statement said that “police had received a report shortly before 4.20am 16th April that a pedestrian had been involved in a collision with a silver Skoda Superb”.

It added: “Officers, along with other emergency services attended and provided medical assistance. However, the teenage boy sadly passed away at the scene.

“Our investigation is underway and we are appealing to anyone who was travelling in the Moy Road area around 4am or anyone who has dash-cam footage, to contact the Collision Investigation Unit on 101, and quote reference number 412 of 16/04/23.”

His death notice describes him as the “treasured son of Alana and Hugh, cherished brother of Danny, Millie-Jane and Matthew”.

Rev Anderson said the teenager had been “blessed with a strength of character - calm in a crisis, with great patience he would be prepared to ‘footer and fix’ for hours in order to get something working – even right up to last Saturday when he finally got his grandfather’s old tractor up and running

after sitting for 40 years in the shed”.

"Glen was someone who looked out for other people and was always there for others especially his family and friends,” said Rev Anderson.

"That kindness and generosity was also shown in the fact that Glen loved nothing more than to spend time with his sister Mille and brothers Matthew and Danny,” said Rev Anderson. “He was full of fun and wisdom and taught them many valuable

lessons in his own adventurous way.

"He taught Matthew how to box so that he would never be bullied at school.

“He taught Danny how to ride a bike and would always rib him about who really owned the tractor. He would take Millie out in the Field Car and so officially will always be the one who taught her to drive.”

Adding that Glen “was extremely creative, highly intelligent and gifted with his hands”, Rev Anderson that “this was evidenced by the many feats of engineering that he produced over the years – the complete resurrection of his Granda’s old tractor and the metal stick man that he and Matthew constructed specifically so that they could both learn how to weld”.

The cleric said Glen had also become a “gifted joiner” and an “accomplished sportsman captaining his school rugby team and representing

Portadown rugby club from Minis right the way up to their senior teams”.

Referring to Glen’s love of Bleary Young Farmers Club, Rev Anderson said that he “always enjoyed their meetings and social gatherings”.

"He had recently followed in his family’s footsteps by becoming a member of the Diamond Grange Orange Lodge.

Paying tribute to his cousins “brilliant sense of humour”, Rev Anderson cited “one occasion when Glen had been going on a work trip and phoned his mum out of the blue to say he needed to buy a few clothes” but “arrived home with a large cuddly husky”.

“Glen loved that dog, so much so that he would put it in the front seat of the car and put a seatbelt on it,” he added.

“It is no understatement to say that Glen Montgomery for all the right reasons was a legend,” added Rev Anderson.

"His tragic, sudden and untimely death has left his family, his friends and this entire community devastated because we have lost someone whom we have deeply loved”.