Michelle Montgomery, 46, of Seattle, WA, was killed Thursday, Feburary 28, 2019 in a car accident.

Born on April 2nd, 1972 to parents Jim and Carla Montgomery, also of Seattle WA, Michelle was a natural-born scholar. Her passion for biology and zoology became clear at a young age when she began an impressive bug collection that soon evolved into aquariums, aviaries, and weekly zoo visits. She found the sciences and animals equally captivating, and split her time between labs and volunteering at the Humane Society.

Michelle received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology from the University of Washington. She was working toward a doctorate program in animal behavior. The program also introduced her to Jay Hartwell, a fellow student who worked up the courage to request her as a lab partner in the first week, and who asked her to marry him 16 months later. Michelle loved her work, her friends, and her family. She is survived by her fiancé Jay; her parents, Jim and Carla; her paternal grandparents, Nick and Cassandra Montgomery; her maternal grandmother, Marie Cross; and her best friends, Jean Dowes and Tina Shaw.

All are invited to attend Michelle’s memorial service at the Evergreen Funeral Home in Everett on March 3rd at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to Sean Montgomery