Obituary: Teresa Montant
Teresa Montant (née Lacy), secretary to the Shelter Island Highway Superintendent and Commissioner of Public Works and a former director at Camp Quinipet, passed away on Thursday, October 27, 2011 from metastatic triple negative breast cancer in Lucia’s Room at Southampton Hospital after a two-year-battle. She was 54.
Teresa was born in Owensboro, Kentucky to Shirley and Cliff Lacy on September 13, 1957 with her twin brother Mark Lacy. Teresa grew up in Aurora, Illinois and graduated from West Aurora High School in 1975.
After traveling the country in the late 1970s, Teresa obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in parks and recreation from Alderson Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia in 1996. She began her career as the youth director of a Methodist Church in Florida, the church’s first female youth director.
She worked as a recreational leader for the City of Stuart, Florida and for the Martin County Parks and Recreation Department. In 1997, Teresa earned a master’s in theological studies at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida.
Teresa met her husband Townsend “Towny” Montant, who grew up in Wainscott, in Stuart, Florida in 1980. She moved to Shelter Island in 1998. They were married in 1999 in Jamaica. Teresa and Towny have enjoyed many years together on Shelter Island, built their first home together, and formed lasting friendships with neighbors and community members. Teresa loved swimming, gardening, kayaking, golf and hiking.
Teresa had seven brothers and sisters; Mark Lacy of Bainbridge Island, Washington; Mary Lacy of Colorado Springs, Colorado; David Lacy of Oswego, Illinois; and Patricia Harris of Colorado Springs. She had many cherished nieces and nephews.
Teresa was predeceased by her sister, Peggy Lacy, her brother, Mike Lacy, her step-sister Beth Garrity, as well as her parents.
Teresa was a member of the Shelter Island Country Club, the Shelter Island Lions Club as well as being a booster member of the American Legion.
Over the last few years, Teresa was instrumental in raising awareness of breast density and breast cancer by instituting the “Real Men Wear Pink” event on Shelter Island. She was also working on promoting legislation in order to educate women about breast density.
The League of Women Voters is planning to run an informational forum on breast density as a cancer risk on Saturday, November 19 at the dining hall at Camp Quinipet at 2 p.m. It was an event on which Teresa was working until the day before her death, according to League program chair, Kathryn Cunningham.
In another development related to Ms. Montant’s efforts, Congressman Tim Bishop on November 1 agreed to a co-sponsor a bill to require insurance companies to pay for breast-density testing — something that Ms. Montant had been fighting for. JoAnn Pushkin of the Are You Dense advocacy group said that Mr. Bishop was sponsoring the bill in Ms. Montant’s memory.
The support Teresa received from the Shelter Island community will never be forgotten, said her husband. She will be missed by all her friends and family greatly.
In memory of Teresa, her friends and family would appreciate charitable donations in her name to: Are You Dense, 96 Rowley Road, Woodbury, Connecticut 06798; East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, New York 11978; and Lucia’s Angels, 10 Oak Street, Southampton, New York 11968.
