Dian and Gerry Montgomery, Joe and Tom Welte to be inducted into Pueblo Hall of Fame
PUEBLO – Four native Puebloans whose civic and financial commitments have contributed greatly to the improvement of their community will be inducted into the Pueblo Hall of Fame.
Dian and Gerry Montgomery and Joe and Tom Welte will be honored March 4 in a ceremony at Pueblo Community College, 900 W. Orman Ave. The event is a benefit for the PCC Foundation.
“The Pueblo Community College Foundation joins with the entire Pueblo community in recognizing Gerry and Dian Montgomery and Joe and Tom Welte for their many years of service to our community,” said Martha Simmons, executive director of the foundation. “We are thrilled to be welcoming them into the Pueblo Hall of Fame, a fixture within the fabric of Pueblo Community College.”
Joe and Tom Welte and their sister, Anne Henne, are the owners of Summit Brick & Tile Co., the company founded by their grandfather, Joe, in 1902. The Welte brothers both graduated from Pueblo high schools – Joe from Roncalli in 1967, Tom from Centennial in 1972 – and attended the University of Notre Dame to study engineering. Both returned to Pueblo after college to work with their father, Ralph, at Summit and remain there today. Joe is president of the company and Tom is vice president.
In addition to the main plant in Pueblo, they have locations in Fort Collins, Denver and Arizona. Summit Brick products are part of Pueblo’s fabric; they can be seen in numerous landmarks, including the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk, both hospitals, the new Pueblo City-County Health Department and the police department. Outside of Pueblo, their bricks were used in projects that include Children’s Hospital in Denver, the Cleveland Clinic, MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Harvard University and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
The Weltes’ civic involvement is extensive, comprising dozens of organizations and causes. Both are strong supporters of vocational education.
Joe Welte’s commitments include service with diverse groups, from the St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center board of trustees to the Pueblo Youth Hockey League. He is the current president of the PCC Foundation.
Tom Welte is a past director of the Pueblo Economic Development Corp. and the boards of the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce and United Way. He is involved with multiple industry organizations.
In 2003, the brothers were named the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce’s Charles W. Crews Business Leaders of the Year.
The Weltes say they choose to live in Pueblo because of family, the quality of life, “great people” and the opportunities that exist to help the community.
“We’ve been blessed that we’ve had a successful business for almost 115 years,” said Joe. “Our dad instilled in us that we need to give back to the community because it’s been good to us.”
Joe and his wife, Linda, are the parents of six children – Mark, Matthew, John, Paul, Julie and James – and have nine grandchildren. Three of their sons have become the fourth generation of the family to work at Summit; daughter Julie, an engineer, consults for the company part-time.
Tom and his wife, Nanci, have one daughter, Lauren, and three grandchildren.
Dian and Gerry Montgomery are co-owners of Montgomery & Steward Funeral Directors. Both are native Puebloans and graduated in 1975 from Central and South High School, respectively. Gerry and Marvin Steward purchased the former Rouch Funeral Home in 1986; Dian began working at the mortuary in 1996 after 22 years as the controller for Wheelstar Corp., and became an owner in 2006.
The Montgomerys have devoted much of their time and financial support to Pueblo’s arts organizations, including the Pueblo Symphony, high school summer musical, Broadway Theatre League and Pueblo Municipal Band.
Civic groups to which they have committed their efforts include the Assistance League of Pueblo, David and Lucille Packard Foundation Advisory Committee, Colorado State University-Pueblo President’s Club, Pueblo Downtown Association, Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center and Pueblo County Historical Society.
The couple’s love of animals led to their sponsorship of pet memorial services that are conducted by local clergy.
Both say their allegiance to their hometown is due primarily to their upbringing.
“Our loyalty and commitment to Pueblo is greatly due to both Gerry’s and my parents, who instilled in us strong Christian values,” said Dian. “It is through these values we are encouraged to be concerned for the wellness of others and support our community.”
The induction ceremony, hosted by Craig Eliot, will begin with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. March 4 in the PCC Fortino Ballroom. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Individual tickets are $85; several sponsorship levels are available. Reservations can be made and more information found at puebloccfoundation.org or 549-3302. The deadline to RSVP is Feb. 26.
The Pueblo Hall of Fame was established in 1991 to recognize individuals, both living and deceased, whose efforts contributed to the betterment of Pueblo. To date, 73 Puebloans have been inducted. Any member of the Pueblo community may nominate an individual for selection to the Hall.
The Hall of Fame ceremony is one of the approved fundraising activities of the PCC Foundation, whose mission is to fund student scholarships or the college’s special needs that are not available through its general fund. For information, contact Simmons at 549-3303.
Founded in 1933, Pueblo Community College is a premier teaching institution focused on providing academic and service excellence, without discrimination, to help its students acquire the 21st Century skills needed to better their lives. An educational and technological leader, PCC fosters economic development and utilizes strong partnerships in the communities it serves through its Pueblo, Fremont and Southwest campuses.