Max Montegut, Jr.

Max J. Montegut Jr., 91, passed away peacefully Wednesday, November 9th, 2022.

Maxime Joseph Montegut Jr. was born in New Orleans on March 10th, 1931 to the late Maxime Joseph Montegut Sr. and Anne Agnes Babin. Max Sr's employment with Standard Oil brought the family to Texas City in 1933, where he lived the remainder of his life.

Max loved Texas City. As a boy, Max had a paper route, was a Boy Scout, a caddy at the Texas City Golf Course, and very active in baseball, football, and basketball. After getting hit in the eye with a baseball in April of 1947, he was able to play sports his junior and senior years where he won the first "Dixie Walker" MVP award, and was a starting Guard on the 1949 State Championship basketball team.

After high school Max received a scholarship to Texas A&M, after realizing the basketball coach "was a real ASS", he transferred to St. Mary's the following year, earned a degree in economics, was in the ROTC, and helped lead the Rattlers to Big State Conference Championship.

On February 26, 1954 he married Doreen Nelda Sewell, and soon started service in the US army where he served as a Lt. in the Field Artillery unit at Ft. Hood. He later participated in the nuclear testing at Nevada. He was honorably discharged in March of 1956. Max and Doreen returned to Texas City where he began a career in real estate. In 1958 his father-in-law, Woodson Sewell was able to place Max in a Mobile service station at 1601 6th St, with a loan of $500 from his father. Max had never worked on automobiles, but he managed to build one of the most successful, businesses in Texas City by providing friendly, personable, and honest service. He was on 6th St for 48 years and employed a lot of young men who he taught many life, and business lessons.

During their 66 years of marriage, Max and Doreen forged a life of love and friendship while making memories with their sons and their families along the way. Their first photo together was taken when they were in kindergarten in 1936 and they were still holding hands when she passed in 2020.

To say Max enjoyed golf is an understatement! He started as a boy, played competitively in college, and while working 16 hours a day, 6 days a week, maintained a low single digit handicap. He continued to play into his late 70's. He enjoyed fishing, wading Wetzel's Flats coming home with a mess of trout. He loved anything related to history, geography, and archeology. He was a runner, rode his bicycle, and exercised until he started having problems with his health. Later, "Pepére" could be seen wondering from field to field to watch his grandchildren's games or taking them to school.

Max loved Doreen, his family, Arnold Palmer, a good joke, big band music, chocolate, and addressing wrongdoing, even if it meant being cancelled.

Max is preceded in death by his wife, Doreen, daughter, Kathy Michelle Montegut, his parents, in-laws Homer Woodson & Hazel Matthews Sewell, sister Maxine Marie (Sister Mary William), and brother-in-law Charles Madden.

Max is survived by his five sons and their families, Max J. III (Toni) of Missouri City, TX, Matt, Marcus (Tracey), Michael (Rita) and Miles (Monica) all of Texas City, TX; grandchildren, Tiffany Morgan (Montague), Max IV (Monica), Matthew Jr.(Ashley Lopez), Maris Montegut, Michelle Rojas (Stephen), Myla Nickerson (Terry), Jackie Schwertz (Justin), Maggie Williams (Eric), Marcus Lee Montegut and Michael Joseph Montegut; and great-grandchildren, Jackson & Austin Montegut, Montague, Vaughn & Quinn Morgan, Parker & Brooks Montegut, Iris & Lily Montegut, Drake Biscamp, Riley & Ryan Rojas, Tucker & Colton Nickerson, Jordan & Josie Schwertz, and Eric Williams Jr. He is also survived by his sister, Billy Madden sisters-in-law Avis Sewell Rogers and numerous nieces and nephews who he always enjoyed seeing.

Visitation will be held 10:00 - 11:00 a.m., Saturday, November 12, 2022 at Emken-Linton Funeral Home with a service immediately after. Family and friends are invited to attend a gathering at 617 Westwood Circle, La Marque immediately after. A private burial will be held for the family at Galveston Memorial Cemetery, 10:00 a.m., Monday, November 14, 2022.

Honorary Pallbearers will be young men he had the pleasure of employing, Ricky Abernathy, John & Joe Madden, Scott Rogers, Francis & Nolan Doucette, Cecil Caudle, John Garrigues, and Kenneth Pharis.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that contributions be made to the charity of your choice.